Forever Forgiven Potter
by Wicked7193
Summary: Complications. they always arise. and for a certian Miss Lily Evans, James Potter is one of them.yet how did he go from 'complication' to doting boyfriend? I believe thats code for 'involvement of the marauders and other best mates'JPLE SBOC RLOC
1. Lily's Summer

**A/N: hey guys, this is my first ****fanfic****, so ****woot****. I hope you guys like it, so please review even if you don't. : ) I'm sorry if the first ****two-****ish**** chapters aren't the greatest –****actually they ****kinda**** suck, but ****as I said, my first ****fanfic**** and the chapters after that are definitely better, these are just ****kinda**** setting the scene for what will later happen. Reviews help so…review. ****Woot**** K ****go**** read:**

Chapter 1: Lily's Summer

Beep – Beep – Bee – Lily Evans's alarm went off with a loud start.

"Ugh, thanks PETUNIA!" Lily screamed her sister's name. "You know I hate being up early!"

"Bloody hell why is there an 'early?" She grumbled to herself. Lily's bedroom door opened, it was her mother.

"Lily honey, it is not your sister! Will you please stop blaming her for everything!" she said exasperatedly, "you set the alarm yourself, remember? You said your school letter would be coming today."

Lily Evans is a witch; she attends Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry in Britain. Of the seven years of school at Hogwarts, Lily was heading into her final year at Hogwarts, which would start, as usual, on the first day of September. She would be taking her NEWTS, this year, her last and most important exams at Hogwarts. She had always known when she would be getting her letter since second year because her closest friend, Jacky, always got hers a day before Lily did.

"What?!" Lily shrieked, "Has it come yet? Is it here?'

She started rushing around the room, looking for her dressing gown. In her haste, Lily upended her trunk, spilling all of its contents across the floor.

"Oh hell with it!" Lily rushed out of her bedroom, nearly knocking over her startled mother who picked herself up with raised eyebrows. However much her parents had tried to understand the prefect system at Hogwarts, they still just didn't get it. This letter would tell her if she was Head Girl or not. She jumped down the stairs three at a time and landed in the hallway. Running into the kitchen, the first thing Lily saw was her prissy, horse-faced sister cowering under the table while on top of the refrigerator stood…

"Oh. My. God." Shakily, Lily walked over to the refrigerator and the sooty looking grey school owl stuck its leg out.

With trembling hands, Lily stepped forward and untied the thick parchment envelope from the owl's leg. The owl shuffled his feathers importantly and took off through the window that Lily opened for him (he had flown through the chimney because Petunia wouldn't open the window). Shaking all over now, she opened the envelope and pulled out the parchment within.

Flipping the envelope over, Lily waited for something else to fall out, but nothing did. Her face fell. Disappointedly, Lily turned to the letter and opened it. Uttering a slight scream, she let the letter float gently to the floor, staring at something in her cupped hands.

"LILY! Are you – oh," Lily's mother had just sped into the kitchen skidding to a halt when she saw Lily's face.

"Little freak got scared by the freak school bird!" Petunia laughed but then cringed at the glare her sister shop her and crawled back under the kitchen table and glared right back at her sister.

"Petunia darling, come out from under the table, Lily will NOT hurt you. Isn't that right Lily?" her mother said tersely.

"Right mum, I won't harm a hair of old Loony Tuney's head."

"LILY!"

"Alright, alright mum, keep your hair on, I promise." An exasperated Lily said.

"Good, I'm glad that's over. Now, Lily, why are you so excited about your school letter?"

Wordlessly, Lily held out her hand and her mother bent over to look at the scarlet and gold badge in her hand. Seeing that her mother was puzzled, Lily cut off the question Mrs. Evans was about to ask.

"It's the Head Girl badge mum."

This time it was Mrs. Evans who screamed shrilly.

"Oh Lily! Oh my, oh come here!"

Mr. Evans skidded into the kitchen to see his youngest daughter being hugged and kissed to death by her mother.

"Rose, let go of Lily, you're strangling her." Mr. Evans said with the hint of a smile on his face. He turned to Lily,

"Now what has happened to make your mother all cheerful, she hasn't been this giddy since you got your O.W.L. results back."

Before Lily could utter a single word, her glowing mother exclaimed,

"Lily has been made Head Girl at Hogwarts!"

"Head what?"

"Head Girl, dad" Lily explained "it means that I'm the co-head of all the prefects at school." She held out her badge so her father could see it. He took it gingerly and looked at it closely. Petunia, who had crawled out from underneath the table, looked at the badge warily over her father's shoulder.

"Doesn't look like much," Petunia scoffed "red and gold, with a lion and 'Head Girl'. Big bloody deal."

"Actually Petty, it is a pretty big deal because now I can boss everyone around at school 'cept for the teachers and Dumbledore, which means, that if you went to my school I could boss you around!"

"Like any normal person would go to that freak place you call a school." Petunia snapped.

"Yeah, like any sane person would date that purple whale you call a boyfriend."

"GIRLS!"

Lily and Petunia jumped at hearing their dad yelling so loudly.

"Petunia, up to your room, Lily stay here for a minute." At the end of his sentence, his voice became that of a proud father. Petunia stormed off, but not before Lily got a parting shot in.

"Are you sure he's even human, Tuney?"

They heard a bedroom door slam upstairs and Mr. Evans turned to Lily.

"Now, explain this Head Girl thing."

"I told you dad, Head Girl means I'm in charge of planning activities, the prefects, and the student body." Lily patiently explained, "I've been hoping to get Head Girl this year ever since I heard about it."

"Well, we're very proud of you sweetheart." Mrs. Evans said as she walked out of the kitchen to go check on Petunia.

Lily happily put the badge down and went to open the school list, but her father interrupted her.

"Lily, you never told us how you did on your exams this year."

"Oh yeah! Sorry dad, I was just so wound up about getting my letter and finding out if I was Head Girl that I completely forgot. Don't worry, I passed every exam with O's, except for History of Magic, which was an 'E'. But I'm not upset, and an E is like a 90, or A-. Besides, everyone always fails History of Magic, so it's no big deal.

"YOU WHAT!?"

Lily and Mr. Evans spun around at the outburst, Mrs. Evans stood in the doorway to the kitchen with a mixed look of anger, shock, and disappointment.

"You FAILED one of your exams?!" there was definitely no pity in her face now, only anger.

"No mum! You've got it all wrong-"

"Don't you care ANYTHING for your future!? Fail-"

"Rose, listen to Lily, she – "

Even Mr. Evans couldn't make his wife listen to his youngest daughter. He just stood there, resigned to listening to her until she finished. Lily however, had had enough.

"SILENCIO!" Lily pointed her wand at her mother, pulling it from the back pocket of her pajama pants.

Her mother looked stunned for a moment, and then opened her mouth to reprimand Lily, but no sound came out. Scared, she opened her mouth even wider, attempting to scream, but still no sound came forth. She eventually calmed down enough to sit and glare at her youngest daughter.

"Now, if you'll listen to me, I'll have you know that I did NOT fail any of my exams, I got top

grades in all but History of Magic, which was an 'E', rather than an 'O'. I was saying that not getting an O in History of Magic is no big deal because most people fail that class. Do you understand now?"

Mrs. Evans nodded.

"Good, now I can…" Lily paled. Even though she was seventeen, she still wasn't supposed to do magic at home when her family was around since they were muggles. The moment she realized this, her sister walked downstairs, smirking.

"Oooohh! Is someone in trouble?" still smirking, she walked into the kitchen where she let out a piercing scream. Petunia ran out of the kitchen, shrieking,

"I hate those bloody freaky birds! Get them out!" She ran upstairs again and slammed her bedroom door yet again.

If possible, Lily paled even more and, turning on her heel, left her confused parents behind her as she slowly walked into the kitchen. Once again, there was an owl sitting on the counter. As soon as it saw Lily, it swooped over her and dropped the letter on her head. Nervously, Lily picked it up off the floor and saw the Ministry of Magic double MM crest on it. For the second time that day, Lily opened a parchment envelope with shaking hands.

Dear Miss Evans,

We have received intelligence that you performed the Silencing Charm at 17 minutes past seven this morning, in a muggle-inhabited area and in the presence of three muggles.

As you have already received an official warning for a precious offense under Section 13 of the International Confederation of the Wizard's Statute of Secrecy, we regret to inform you that your presence is required at a disciplinary hearing at the Ministry of Magic at 11:00 A.M. on July 18th.

Hoping you are well, yours sincerely,

Serena Torino

IMPROPER USE OF MAGIC OFFICE

MNISTRY OF MAGIC

P.S. Jacky says hi!

The letter floated gently to the floor as the recipient also sank down, leaning against the Refrigerator.

Lily sat there for what must have been minutes, with her head in her hands. Hearing mocking laughter, she looked up, startled. Immediately, her surprised expression turned into a scowl, because it was, once again her darling sister Petunia.

"So, what are you in trouble for? I can't wait to tell mum and dad! Then they won't let you go back to that freak place you call a school. Or are you already kicked out?" Petunia had a disgustedly excited look on her horsey face.

"Oh just shut up you prissy, horse-faced, toe rag! Ugh!" And with that, Lily stormed out of her normally serene kitchen.

Passing her still startled father, Lily stopped in front of her mother.

"Mum, I can't take the charm off yet; I have to wait until I get permission."

"How will you get permission Lily?" asked Mr. Evans.

Lily took a deep breath before answering,

"Well, by either owling the Ministry of Magic, or waiting two days until my hearing." She said the latter part of the sentence in a rush, looking down.

There was dead silence until,

"WHAT!" Her father thundered. "You have a HEARING!" Then in a normal tone of voice he said,

"Wait a minute, I though you can do magic this summer because you are of age in the Wizarding world. So why are you in trouble?"

"No its not because I'm underage, I'm in trouble because I did magic in front of three muggles, which would be you two and someone else. Was Tuney looking?" She paused, and when she spoke again she sounded oddly cheery, almost too cheery. "But don't worry; I'll probably get off because the muggles I did magic in front of were you guys and you know about magic. So there goes the whole 'in front of muggles' thing," Lily said with a confidence she didn't feel.

"Don't worry dad, I **haven't** been expelled."

"Yet," she thought grimly to herself as she trudged upstairs.

**A/N: so review and tell me what you think, hopefully you'll have liked it, and I update as fast as I can, so keep an eye out. Mucho thanks to my beta, Friar-Freaking-Lawrence**

**-Wicked**


	2. And A Partridge In A Pear Tree

**g****Disclaimer****: yeah, I ow****n Harry potter, I'm JK Rowling, yeah NO. ****that's**** laughable that**** idea ****is.**

**Dedication: this story is officially dedicated to my absolute best friend, Katie Long**

**A/N: Here's chapter two, obviously. ****Hope you guys like it, review and tell me what you think, ideas for future ****chappies****, blah ****blah****blah****Well, ****ENJOY! O yeah, mucho thanks to my beta, friar-freaking-Lawrence, who's story should be back up soon**

Chapter 2: Letters Galore

Lily sat on her bed, staring into space. She had sent Arya, her owl, with a request to the ministry to undo the Silencing charm on her mum.

Her reverie was broken by an insistent tap-tapping on her window. Wondering who else this could be, Lily leapt off of her bed to open the window for Jenaya, her best friend Jacqueline 'Jacky' Torino's owl.

While Jenaya flew over to Arya's cage to drink and eat, Lily ripped open Jacky's letter.

LILY!

I still can't believe that you got in trouble from the ministry of magic! You of all people! Mom owled me right after she sent you your letter. Anyways, yes I can bring you. Mum is going to be the hearing scribe, so you are sooooooo lucky! She figures that you should come the muggle way, even though you're overage she says it will 'look good'. So I'll come to your house and I'll take you there. I'll pick you up on Thursday at 9:30 because I want to show you around.

For Megs's birthday you, me, Steph, and Megs might - emphasis on might, we never know what those two might get up to - go to that muggle mall you've taken us to before, then we're definitely going to Diagon Alley to get our school stuff, shop some more, then go back to either your house or my house for a sleepover and party. Talk to your mum about whose house we're going to, my mum would LOVE to have you over and she says your parents are welcome to come too for drinks and stuff, and if they don't know how to get here or don't want to drive, Mum says she can get your house hooked into the Floo Network that day. Write back ASAP so I can tell mom and then owl Megs, and Steph. Good Luck on Thursday!

Luv,

Jacky

Lily smiled; trust Jacky and her mother to come up with a full day plan for her birthday. She stood up to go tell her mother the plans for Saturday, then paused. Should she wait for Arya to come back with the Ministry's answer, or go down now? It would be funny if she took the spell off without them knowing, so her mum wouldn't speak for the rest of the day. Hmmm…

Eventually Lily decided to go downstairs now so she could talk to her mom without being interrupted, something that never happened.

As Lily was walking out the door, she spun around, hearing a tap-tapping sound on the window, Arya behind it. Sitting on the sill next to Arya was the same barn owl that had delivered her first ministry letter that morning.

Rushing over to the window, Lily pushed up the screen. With a muttered "Thanks", Lily took the letter from its talons and sat down on her bed to read the letter. After a moment, her eyes moving faster than a speeding car, Lily leaned back and stretched out, letting out a long sigh.

Sitting up, she scanned the letter again.

The Ministry trusted her, a seventh year, to do magic responsibly. Lily chuckled; the letter said that the Ministry trusted her, which meant that it was really Jacky's mum Serena who had convinced the Ministry people that she was a 'responsible young adult'.

"If only they saw me with Petunia," Lily thought, "then they'd have a different idea of how responsible I am!"

Lily stood up and stretched, she might as well go cast the counter spell on her mother, and grab some breakfast while she was at it.

Walking down the hall, Lily spun around at the sound of a door creaking open. Petunia's half smug, half afraid face stuck out of her doorway.

"I saw that bird come back. Are you expelled _now_?"

Finally having had enough, Lily whipped out her wand, leveling it mere inches from her sisters face.

"Actually, they're letting me use magic," said Lily, her scathing voice dripping with bitter contempt, "so I'd watch my back if I were you."

Petunia's expression immediately melted into pure terror and before she could slam her door into Lily's face, Lily turned on her heel and continued walking down the hallway and down the stairs. She was sick of Petunia acting this way, who cared if she was a witch or not? The rest of her family certainly didn't.

Upon reaching the kitchen, Lily found her parents sitting at the table, with newspapers in one hand, coffee in the other. They both looked up expectantly at their daughter when she came in, but Lily only got out the ingredients for chocolate-chip pancakes. While Lily measured out the milk, her father cleared his throat and started to say,

"Er, Lily, did you-" but after pouring the milk into the mixing bowl, Lily wordlessly turned around, jabbed her wand at her mum, then turned back to making her pancakes. Again her parents looked at each other, and then Mr. Evans cleared his throat again and said,

"Er, Lily, wouldn't it help if you actually _said_ a spell, or something?"

Without turning around Lily replied, "No dad. I used a nonverbal spell. I said it in my head. Mum, you can talk now."

Mrs. Evans sighed, and then laughed. "You have no idea how good it feels- and sounds- to be able to sigh and laugh again!"

"Actually mum, I do. That's how we learn these spells and charms; we practice them on each other. Now, can you help me cook these pancakes?" Mrs. Evans smiled at Lily and stood up.

"Get the butter out, dear. Oh, and the maple syrup while you're at it."

Grinning, Lily did as she was told. Three minutes later, she was digging into the best chocolate chip pancakes she'd ever had.

"Thanks mum. These are really delicious. You always make the best pancakes!"

"And do you know what the best part of them is?" asked Mrs. Evans, grinning evilly.

"Er, nicking chocolate chips while you aren't looking?" Lily asked warily.

"You wash the dishes while I rest my old bones!" Rose Evans exclaimed.

"Oh so you're finally admitting that you're old?" Lily retorted good-naturedly as she got up to wash the dishes. As Lily started scrubbing, she talked to her mother.

"Hey mum, While I was upstairs, Jacky owled me. She wants to know if we can go to the Surrey Center, then Diagon Alley, then either here or her house for dinner and a sleepover on Megs's birthday. She says that whoever's house we go to is your decision. So, what do you say?"

"Well wouldn't you want to spend the evening with your father and I?"

"Oh, sorry mum. Jacky says that you and dad are invited to come over to their house for the party, if it is there that is. Also, Mrs. Torino thinks it best if you two Floo over rather than drive. She doesn't think you would be able to find their house if you drove, and it would be quicker. So, would that be alright? It would be so much fun because we could do magic since she lives in a wizarding area."

"Well I suppose, but your father shall decide." Repeated Mrs. Evans, looking at her husband.

"I say let her go. We can join the party in the evening. Come on Rose, her best friend is turning 17, a legal adult in the wizard world. Let her have some fun with her friends." He said smiling convincingly at Rose, then at Lily's beaming face. He laughed as she started bowing and mouthing "thank you, thank you!" over and over again.

"All right, go get packed." Mrs. Evans shooed Lily out of the kitchen, smiling as Lily jumped out of her chair.

"Yes! Thank mum, thanks dad." She called while racing out of the kitchen.

Once in her room, Lily sat down at her desk to write back to Jacky.

Hey Jacky!

Mum and dad say I can do everything! I even persuaded them to let me come to your house for the sleepover. On question though, when they floo to your place, do they say 'The Torino House', or 'The Grape'. I really don't want my parents stuck up a chimney. That's a good idea for the wicked muggle of the Evans family though! Tell me on Saturday, I can tell my parents then. If you and the others don't have muggle money I can lend you guys some like we usually do. See you Saturday!

Love,

Lily

Rolling up the parchment into a tight scroll she tied a ribbon around it to keep it in place. She walked over to Arya's cage and shook her owl awake.

"Arya, I need you to take this to Jacky for me, 'kay?"

Arya held out her leg in response and hooted softly.

"Thanks, I'll have something for you when you get back, I promise."

Hooting again, Arya swooped out of the window and disappeared into the sky. Lily stood at her window, staring at the place where Arya had disappeared and thought about the coming year. A slow smile spread onto her face, her best friend was nearly seventeen, and she was going to have the best time ever the next weekend; that was definite.

Turning away from the window, Lily dragged out a duffel bag and began to pack.

An hour later she was done, but was still singing along to a mixed CD of her two favorite bands, the Rascal Flatts and Good Charlotte.

There was a knock on her door, Lily stopped singing and stood up to answer it.

Petunia stood there holding a pile of laundry still warm from the dryer. She shoved them at her sister without saying a word and stalked off to her room.

Lily rolled her eyes and shut her door again. Ever since Lily's first year at Hogwarts Petunia had cold shouldered Lily because she hadn't been accepted. Lily always saw this as unfair, but ah well, there's no use crying over spilt potion. Petunia would probably never change.

Dropping the clothes on her bed, Lily sat down to read her booklist. When she finished she sat back and wondered who the new Defense Against the Dark Arts professor would be. The professor from the year before had been terribly unstable, thinking everyone was out to kill him. He had been seriously injured in a practical class and as soon as he was well enough to walk, he had run from the school screaming that the 5th years were assassins from Czechoslovakia. What Czechoslovakia had against him nobody knew, partly because that was no longer a country. The stories of what it could be kept getting taller and taller.

Lily stood up and walked over to her closet so she could pick out her best clothes for her ministry hearing on Thursday. She huffed; it was completely unfair that she was in trouble with the ministry. It wasn't like she had hurt anyone, a teacup into a mouse and a silencing charm; was it really that big of a deal?

Pulling out a white skirt and an emerald colored shirt, Lily draped them over her desk chair and bent down to search for appropriate shoes. She settled for a pair of flip flops, it was summer after all, and tossed them in the general direction of her desk. Checking her watch, Lily realized that it was already well past twelve. Yawning, she also realized how tired she was. She put all the freshly laundered clothes that were currently on her bed in her dresser drawers and lied down for a nap.

What seemed like moments later she heard a tapping noise, and at first she thought it was part of her dream.

But as she gradually woke up, she realized that Arya was back, along with two other owls.

She ran over to the window to let in Arya, Fiyero, and Mercutio, her friends Megs and Stephanie's owls in. she opened Megs letter first.

Hey Lily!

As you guessed, I'm burnt red as a cooked lobster, but that's nothing new. Though I'm still on the Cape, I managed to set up a portkey to Jacky's house for a couple days so I won't miss out on my 17th birthday with you guys. From what I've heard, we're going to that mall that Jacky and Steph are obsessed with, and then we're going to Diagon Alley to get our school things. Jacky also told me that you're Head Girl! Way to go Lils! Nice job. I wonder who the Head Boy is. Hmmm… ah well, we'll find out soon enough. See you Saturday!

Love Megs

Lily laughed. Megs was American so she usually spent the summer in Massachusetts, on Cape Cod. She had been living in England with her muggle family when Hogwarts sent her their letter. Apparently she was supposed to go to the Salem Witches Academy, but then she had moved away from Boston. Lily ripped open Steph's letter next.

¡Hola Chica!

Guess what? I went to SPAIN! Isn't that sooooooo fantastico-y-ish? So now I'm speaking some mix of Spanish and English. I think it's called Spanglish, according to Megs anyways. But I'm back now and Jacky owled me about Saturday and I can't wait! Wait till you find out what Megs's birthday present is. I'll give you one hint: it's international. That's all I'm saying, haha! Until Saturday then.

-Steph

Again Lily started laughing. Steph traveled every summer to another country, and though British, she picked up enough from the places she visited to be a native from them, which wasn't lost in her attempts to imitate those people. Not to mention that she was VERY articulate (NOT).

Of their little group of friends, Steph and Megs were the two jokers, and they got a kick out of anybody who asked them why they went everywhere together if they were always bickering and arguing. By fourth year, they had stopped explaining their very strange friendship, and people, or at least MOST people had learned not to ask, and especially not to call them by their full first names. Those two were certainly an odd pair. But nothing would be fun without them.

Pushing the letters to the side of her desk, Lily pulled out parchment and a pen, yes a pen, and quickly wrote:

Dear Megs and Steph, I can't wait for Saturday! See you guys then, can't wait to hear about your summers so far.

-Lily

Looking up, Lily was surprised to see Fiyero right in front of her, and looking at the window, saw that Mercutio was sitting on the sill, ready to fly back home.

Tying the scroll to Fiyero's leg, she carried him to the window and gave him a push out. Turning away, a loud grumble told her that she had missed lunch by quite some time. She headed downstairs thinking:

"6 letters in 5 hours, in 4 days Megs is an adult, it's after 3, and I'm hungry enough for 2 people".

And for good measure, she added:

"And a partridge in a pear tree!"

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**A/N: okay, so here's the second chapter.**** And I can actually say that the letter from Steph was written by the real Steph ****breen****, so it is truly in her words. Or at least most of it was. I claim no responsibility for '****fantastico****-y-****ish****'. Oh, and whoever guesses what the 'international' present is gets to be in this!**

**PLEASE REVIEW. They make me happy and wanting to write more… ****Oh yeah, Lily isn't in major trouble, just enough for the ministry to take notice. Thanks for reading!**


	3. The Hearing

**A/N: ****'ello peoples. The amount of sugar in my system right now is… well you just don't want to know, because I spent 9 hours yesterday freaking baking. 3 types of cookies: gingerbread men, candy cane cookies, and 'double chocolate freckles'**** Tee-hee I made one of the gingerbread men a ****Green Beret**** for my dad and another**** one**** a hockey player for me. I would've updated earlier but I'm currently preventing/ avoiding WWIII, so…put it this way, all 5 of my sibs are home****, plus a fiancé and a (hopefully) soon to be ****fiance**** FYI: ****Jacky**** is ****one of ****Lily's best friend****s ****/roommate****s**** at Hogwarts****, if that got a little confusing. **

**Discl****aimer: I own Harry Potter. COUGH COUGH no****, I only own my plot, Megs, ****Jacky****, Steph and Mike and other minor characters so far. ****Even though there's not actually a legal agreement on though… ah well ignore me and read!**

**Chapter 3: The Hearing**

Two days later, Lily woke up, wondering why she felt so worried, then she remembered.

She flipped over and pressed her face into her pillow and groaned. Eventually she managed to push herself up and out of bed.

Stumbling downstairs, she entered the kitchen to find her mum cooking eggs and kippers.

Pouring a tall glass of orange juice she sat down muttering

"Thanks mum."

"Well, you're going to need a hearty breakfast today dear."

"Thanks mum."

"And I've ironed the clothes that you laid out last night,"

"Thanks mum."

"And— is that all you can say?"

"NO."

"Well that's good; you wouldn't do well today if it was."

Lily grunted.

"And probably don't want to say that either, they might take you for a sullen teenage miscreant."

Finally Lily managed a chuckle.

"Personally I doubt that, and it's not a whole court mum, it's just a small meeting in Mrs. Torino's department with a couple other people, and seeing as I'm a legal adult in the wizarding world, they can't really blame me for anything. Mrs. Torino will make sure I'm fine."

"I keep forgetting that wizards and witches come of age at 17, not 18. Anyways, here you are now, eat up."

Their conversation ended there as Lily was busy eating breakfast. When she finished, Lily stood up and cleaned away her dishes. Before leaving she asked, "Mum, where are my clothes for today?"

"They're hanging up in your wardrobe dear."

"Okay, thanks."

Going into her room, Lily opened the door to her wardrobe and saw the skirt and shirt she had put out earlier hanging in the front of her wardrobe looking crisp.

Lily laid them out on her bed along with her sandals and went into the bathroom that adjoined her room with Petunia's to take her shower. When she came out, she brushed her hair and changed into her emerald shirt, and the short-ish white skirt.

The doorbell rang as she finished putting her now dry hair into a braid, and quickly slipping her feet into her black and white flip-flops, she ran downstairs to open the door for Jacky.

"Lily!"

"Jacky!"

"How was your summer?" they asked at the same time.

"Wow…we… know each-… other…too well." said Jacky between laughs, "Ready to go?"

"Yup, let me just let my mum know we're leaving."

Lily ran to the kitchen where her mum was working.

"Hey mum, Jacky and me are going to leave now."

"Jacky and who?"

Lily rolled her eyes and said,

"Jacky and _I, _mum, Jacky and_ I."_

"All right, Said Mrs. Evans, smiling "Good luck dear." She enveloped her daughter in a big hug. "Remember to stay calm and collected and you'll be fine."

"Thanks mum." Said a muffled sounding Lily.

Mrs. Evans stepped back. "Oh we're not back to that phrase are we?" She said jokingly

"On your way now."

"Bye mum, see you later."

When Lily came back e door where Jacky was standing she asked

"How are we getting there?"

"Well I was going to use the Floo Network, but I figured that you wouldn't want to show

Up all sooty, so now we're going to apparate."

"But I have-" Lily started

"I know, I know, you don't take the test until next week. We're going to do Side-Along

Apparition."

"Okay, then let's go."

Stepping off the front porch, they took three steps and turned sharply on their heels, hands tights held together. A face at an upstairs window watched Lily and Jacky disappear before quickly turning away.

With a loud POP, Lily and Jacky appeared in the Atrium of the Ministry of magic. Lily

Stared all around, taking it all in with wide eyes. She saw the fireplaces lined up like taxi cabs along the wall, and the gold fountain sparkling in the light. But what caught her attention most was the ceiling. More specifically, the strange symbols moving across it.

She stood looking at it, her head bent back as far as she could make it go without losing her balance to take in all the moving symbols. She wanted to ask Jacky what they were, but somehow got the feeling that Jacky wouldn't know anymore about the odd symbols than she did.

Almost as if Jacky had read her mind, she said

"Don't ask me what they mean, I have no idea. Now come on, we got to get you 'checked in'."

She led Lily over to a desk where a young man sat listening to the WWN (Wizarding Wireless Network).

"Hey Mike." Greeted Jacky

"Hey Jacky! What's going on?"

"Same old, my friend Lily here needs her wand checked."

"So this is the famous Lily I hear so much about huh?"

"Yup, this is the one and only Lily Evans. Lily, this is my long time friend Mike Hedlund."

Lily gave her wand to Mike, who put it on something that looked like a set of scales with only a single dish. It started to vibrate then a small piece of parchment came out of an opening in the bottom, reminding Lily irresistibly of a receipt being printed at a cash register.

"Unicorn tail hair, willow, 10 and a quarter inches, been in use for six years?" said Mike, looking questionably at Lily.

She nodded saying, "Yeah."

"Great. Here you go then." He replied handing her the wand back and sticking the parchment on a small brass spike that was pushed to the side of his desk.

"So what are you ladies up to today?"

"Well Lily here has a meeting with Mr. Garrett, and then I'm going to show her around," Said Jacky.

"Cool, what's the meeting about? A future job?"

Jacky looked at Lily almost nervously, but Lily replied smoothly

"Yeah, something like that."

"Cool. Well my shift should be over by the time you guys are done, would you mind if I joined you for lunch?"

Again Jacky looked at Lily, who shrugged and gave her a 'why not' look.

Jacky looked back at Mike

"Sure, the café's on what? Level 5 right?"

"Yeah. I'll meet you guys there at about…one, okay?"

"Aight, see you later Mike."

"Bye."

Jacky and Lily left and went to the end of the Atrium where there were several lifts waiting.

They stepped into a rapidly filling lift on the right. After they entered the lift the doors slid shut and they moved up.

Out of nowhere a woman's voice said:

"Level 7: Department of Magical Games and Sports, incorporating the British and Irish Quidditch League headquarters. Official Gobstones Club and Ludicrous Patterns Office."

"We're going to level 2." Said Jacky. Lily found it funny that the order of levels went high to low, rather than the muggle way of going low to high.

"Okay," She said.

Lily glanced at Jacky quickly, smirked, and then looked away, still smirking. Jacky noticed and asked

"What?"

Lily looked at her again, this time out of the corner of her eye. A sneaky, knowing look.

"Oh no, I know what you're thinking, and NO, there's nothing between Mike and me, we're just friends. His dad works with my mum, and his uncle is the head of the Magical Law Enforcement office. He's only about a year and a half older than us, so we grew up friends."

Lily was about to reply when the lift doors opened to:

"Level Five, Department of International Magical Cooperation, incorporating the International magical Trading Standards Body, the International Confederation of Wizards, British Seats."

Lily had stopped talking because of the woman who now calmly entered the lift. This woman would have been absolutely insignificant but for one thing. Her skin was tinted a shade of sky blue, and with her premature white hair she looked like a model of the sky.

Meanwhile the two owls that had been hovering at the top of the lift flew out the door after one of them took a dump on the sky lady's head. While they flew out, three more messenger owls flew in.

Lily and Jacky looked at each other then had to look away quickly for fear of cracking up.

Luckily the woman got off the lift soon on:

"Level Three, Department of magical Accidents and Catastrophes, including the Accidental magical Reversal Squad, Obliviator Headquarters and Muggle- Worthy Excuse Committee."

As soon as the lift doors had closed behind her and another couple ministry workers, the two girls started cracking up.

"The last time I saw her, she looked like a watermelon with dark pink skin and green hair. She works in the Committee on Experimental Charms. Some pretty drastic changes huh?"

"You're telling me!" Replied Lily who was still chuckling.

"Level Two: Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Including the Improper Use of Magic Office, Auror Headquarters, and Wizengamot Administration Services."

"C'mon, this is where we get off."

Lily followed Jacky off the lift and into a corridor lit by torches and a little light that came in from the window.

"Umm, Jacky?"

"Yeah Lily?" said Jacky, stopping impatiently to turn around and look at Lily.

"Well first of all, you told me that the Ministry of Magic is underground, and second, it's sunny and hot out today, not rainy!"

Jacky laughed at Lily's extremely puzzled features.

"Magical Maintenance decides what kind of weather we're going to have each day, because these windows are enchanted."

"Ohh, okay."

"Yeah, what they've been doing lately is the opposite of the outside weather. So on a sunny day we can have anything from drizzle to tempest weather and vice versa for rainy days."

They were walking through the Auror section now, and Lily was awed at all the action and shouting from cubicle to cubicle that went on.

Suddenly a man jumped out from a cubicle to land right in front of the two girls. Lily jumped, but Jacky seemed unfazed.

"Seriously Bruno, I'm so used to you doing that it doesn't scare me anymore." Said Jacky, trying to hold in a smile.

"Yeah but I used to get you pretty badly when you were younger." Replied Bruno, who was grinning like a Cheshire cat.

"So where are you lovely ladies headed? Your mum's office, Jacky?"

"Yep. Oh, Lily, this is my old friend Bruno, he's an Auror. He's working to bring down You-Know-Who like the hero he is (at this Bruno flexed his muscles trying to look all macho), and Bruno this is my best friend Lily, who's also my roommate and new Head Girl at Hogwarts."

"Nice job. Congrats."

"Thanks. Nice to meet you."

"And you."

"So… moving on." Said Jacky, starting off again. "Hey Bruno, want to meet us and Hedlund for lunch?"

"Sure, better than the lunch I brought with me. What time?"

"One."

"Jeez! What are you guys doing for the next few hours?"

"Lily's got a meeting, and then I'm showing her around. Well, not in that order, but moving on."

"Cool, who's the meeting with?"

Lily quickly butted in

"Just someone I'm hoping to get a job with next year."

Just then they heard a voice yell

"Bruno! Where the hell are you?!"

Bruno yelled back

"Over here boss, I'm coming." Turning back to the girls he said

"Looks like something big just came up; I'll try and meet you guys for lunch. Bye!"

"Bye."

"Bye, GOOD LUCK BRUNO!" yelled Jacky.

As they walked on Jacky said, "Mums office is just around the corner here, that's where the Improper Use of magic Office begins."

Sure enough the first office around the corner of the corridor was Mrs. Torino's.

"Lily! Oh how wonderful to see you darling! How are you?"

"I'm well thanks, how are you Mrs. Torino?"

"Splendid, I'm doing well. You girls have a little over two hours until Lily has to be at her hearing, what are you doing until then?"

"I'm showing Lily around the Ministry, Mum."

"All right. I'll see you later then." Said Mrs. Torino looking pointedly at Lily.

It took Lily a moment to realize what Mrs. Torino had meant, and when she did, she paled considerably.

Jacky, noticing this, put her arm around Lily and said,

"Don't worry you're going to be _fine_."

"Yeah, okay." Lily replied, but realized she was _slightly_ over- worrying, so she cheered up a bit.

"So where are we going now?" asked Lily

"We're going to go up to the top floor, then work our way down. You won't be able to see the Department of Mysteries, partly because it's forbidden, and partly because it's really creepy down there."

For the next hour and a half, Lily and Jacky roamed the Ministry of Magic, ending up back in Mrs. Torino's office. Since Jacky's mum was gone, they lounged around, raiding Mrs.

Torino's 'hidden' stash of chocolate frogs, and playing exploding snap.

After 45 minutes, Mrs. Torino poked her head around the doorway of her cubicle office and beckoned to Lily saying, "Lily dear, time to come with me. Jacky, stay here until we're done. We're only going to be in Mr. Garrett's office down the corridor.

Lily stood up, hugged Jacky, and then left with Mrs. Torino. They walked down a corridor to the left and entered an actually office where the head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement office, Mr. Garrett, sat with his assistant, a younger woman who must have been about 12 years older than Lily, Amelia Bones. Dumbledore was also there, and a man in purple robes whom Lily guessed was a member of the Wizengamot. There was a single chair in the center of the room, while five other chairs, one still empty, stood in a semi circle around it. Mrs. Torino quickly sat down in the empty chair by Dumbledore.

Lily figured that the center chair was for her, so she sat down. Almost immediately Mr. Garrett started speaking.

"Disciplinary hearing of the 18th of July. Into offenses committed under the International Statute of Secrecy by Lily Marie Evans, resident at number 32 Rose Gardens, Weston-super-mare, North Somerset. Interrogators: Brian Daniel Garrett, Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; Amelia Susan Bones, Assistant Junior Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement; Wullfrid C. Ettonburg of the Wizengamot. Hearing Scribe, Serena Torino of the Improper Use of Magic Office, Witness for the Defense, Albus Percival Wolfric Brian Dumbledore."

Here Mr. Garrett paused to allow Mrs. Torino to catch up.

When she nodded at him, he continued, looking right at Lily.

"The charges against the accused are as follows: that she did knowingly deliberately and in full awareness of the illegality of her actions produce a Silencing charm in the presence of four muggles."

He went on and on. Lily was suddenly more nervous than she had been before the hearing. Mr. Garrett was making her simple charm sound like a huge crime. She glanced at Dumbledore quickly, who gave her an encouraging smile. Slightly reassured, Lily turned back to the man talking.

"You are Lily Marie Evans, of number 32 Rose Gardens, Little Witherton, North Somerset?"

"Yes." Lily answered.

"And you received an official warning for using illegal magic five years ago?

"Yes I did."

"Do you have anything to say for yourself on that matter?"

"Yes I do sir. I had just finished my first year at Hogwarts, and my entire family is muggles you see, so they really wanted to see magic, so all I did was turn a teacup into a rat for my parents and back again."

Mr. Garrett thought for a moment, looking at a sheet in front of him

"Just your parents? It says three people here."

"Oh that would have been my older sister Petunia."

"Ah." Mr. Garrett crossed something out on his parchment.

Now the woman from the Wizengamot spoke up.

"Why did you perform this recent charm? For show? Or out of anger?"

"WellI was talking to my dad about my exams, and when my mum came in she misunderstood what I had said and started off on a tirade and wouldn't let me get a work in edgewise. So all I could think of doing was magic. It's like second nature to me now."

Lily glanced at Dumbledore at this to see him smiling at her words.

Wullfrid C. Ettonburg sat back, looking satisfied.

Amelia Bones now cut in. "Miss Evans, did you know that there was another muggle who saw you perform this charm?"

"No, who was it?"

"Your neighbor, a Miss Betty Harris. She saw you perform the charm through a downstairs window."

"I had no idea she was there."

"Her memory has been modified, so she has no recollection of your magic."

"Oh."

Mr. Garrett cleared his throat and said in a loud voice,

"If I could have all the interrogators over her for a moment please?"

They all withdrew into a corner and held a whispered conference.

Lily turned to Professor Dumbledore.

"Professor, shouldn't you be over there too?"

"No Miss Evans, because I am your witness."

"But you weren't there when I did the charm."

"A witness for the Defense is merely the wizarding version of a muggle lawyer."

He put up a hand to forestall her next question.

"I did not plead your case because I had no need to. You did splendidly on your own." He said, his eyes twinkling behind their half moon glasses.

"Oh, thanks professor." Lily opened her mouth to ask one last question, but Dumbledore answered it before she could get a single word out,

"I am your witness because I am the witness for all students at Hogwarts if something like this ever happens to them."

At that moment, the other adults in the room ended their conversation.

"Having reviewed you case, Miss Evans, we declare you free of all previous charges, but do try and keep an eye out for muggles when you do magic, won't you?" Announced Madam Bones, who could not help but smiling.

Lily beamed and stood up.

"Thank you, I will." She said simply, and walked out.

**------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**A/N:**** Okay, so here's chapter 3. And seriously, that little button to your lower left is the best thing you cou****ld do for me, so USE IT. Merry Christmas! And if you guys happen to hear anything in the news about WWIII, that will be my family. Just kidding…**


	4. A Reluctant Reunion

**Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. If I did I probs wouldn't be writing this. Personally I doubt I ever will. **

**A/N: And seriously guys, I love reviews. Soooo, if you're gonna read…might a****s well review and tell me what you**** think right? Anonymous reviews work FYI. ****Special thanks to luthiens-dream, for reviewing ever chapter, you rock: )****Hope you all had a great new years, I was at my best friends place, home alone w. her. I'm updating a week earlier than I planned so be happy! This is wicked long, and the next one is going to be too, so it might be a few weeks cuz I have midterms coming up. But reviews motivate me!**** Anyways****, on with the story!**

**Chapter 4: A Reluctant Reunion**

Jacky was walking down the corridor towards her mum's office when she saw Lily walk out. Her head was down so Jacky could not see her expression. Jacky ran forward to meet her and when she reached her, lily picked up her head and started laughing at Jacky's face.

"I thought you had been crying 'cause you had been expelled or something and then you come out here and you're _**smiling**_?! You seriously had me going there for a minute Lil!" now Jacky was laughing.

"Yeah. But don't worry; I'm all good in the law area."

"Good thing too, who would have been the replacement Head Girl?" laughed Jacky. "It's just about 1:00; do you want to head down to the lunch - café - place thing?"

"Having issues speaking?" Lily asked straight faced.

"Shut up! Aw just kidding, you know I love you. Alright lets go, c'mon I'm starving."

When they got down to the 5th level, they found Mike waiting for them.

"Bruno's still gone," He said.

Jacky bit her lip, looking worried, and Mike patted her back comfortingly.

"Hey," he said softly, "he'll be alright. He always is."

Jacky nodded. "Okay. Let's go eat, I am STARVING."

The three of then laughed and walked into the loud food court.

When they had finished and cleaned away their trays, Mike said he had to go finish up with the security desk and clock out. So with a hug to Jacky and a wave to Lily he departed.

By the time Jacky and Lily apparated back to Lily's house, it was already past 2:30. Jacky hugged Lily and said,

"See you in two days at my place for Meg's birthday. Oh, and we're planning to go and get 'the goods' and our school stuff then too."

"Good, this is our last year, there's no way we aren't going to have those. So around what time should I come to your house?"

"Ummm, anytime during the day I suppose. I will be there pretty much all day, but if you can come at 11-11:30ish that would be awesome."

"Okay, see you in a couple days then."

"If you and Petunia don't kill each other before then!"

"Yeah! So you'll know what happened if I don't show up. See you later Jacky."

"Bye."

A CRACK and Lily was standing alone on her front porch.

Two days later a very much alive, yet tired, Lily Evans was eating toast hat her kitchen table. By quarter to eleven she was ready to go.

"So mum, you're going to come at 7:00 right? And you know what to do to get there?"

"Yes to the first and maybe to the second," Mrs. Evans replied.

"It's okay. I'll come back here and show you."

"All right then, I'll see you later tonight dear."

"Bye mum."

"Oh wait, don't forget these. I picked them up for you just like you asked," said Mrs. Evans, handing a large shopping bag to her daughter.

"Oh yes!" said Lily quite enthusiastically, "Thanks so much mum."

Mrs. Evans chuckled. "No problem dear, now on your way."

And with a loud CRACK Lily disappeared from her home kitchen. She immediately reappeared with another, slightly softer, POP outside of a gorgeous stucco house that was located in the outskirts of Godric's Hollow. The houses here were somewhat far away from their neighbors, but that was because they all had large expanses of land. Or in Jacky's case, large expanses of vineyards. Yes, the Torino's house, also known as 'The Grape' because they made wine from homegrown grapes.

Walking up the front path, Lily lifted the knocker but before she could slam it down the door flew open and Mrs. Torino exclaimed,

"Lily! Good to see you dear. Come right in. Jacqueline is just through here."

She led Lily through an open doorway to their sitting room. Jacky was lying on the couch reading a piece of paper that looked like a list. She jumped up when she saw that Lily had arrived.

"Hey Lils! Glad you're here, I've been bored to the border of insanity."

"Bored huh? Yeah I can definitely tell you have had nothing to do around here," Lily said sarcastically looking around at the elaborately decorated room.

"Yeah but you know that with magic it only takes two minutes."

"True. When are the others getting here?"

"Megs should be here in about two seconds, which reminds me…"

She hastily pulled out her wand and said

"Evanesco!"

And all the decorations

"So what was I saying? Oh yeah, the—"

Jacky was cut off by a whooshing sound from the fireplace. Both girls turned around to see a third girl spinning madly in the midst of green flames. The girl slowed down and tumbled out of the fireplace and onto the marble floor right in front of the fireplace. Margaret Joy jumped up, raised her fist triumphantly and proclaimed (rather loudly)

"I am OKAY!"

Then looking around, Megs (for that was her nickname, she refused to be called by her full name) spotted her two friends.

"Hey guys! What's up?"

Lily and Jacky laughed,

"Only you Megs, only you," Jacky said.

Megs shrugged.

"Yeah well, that's how I roll."

She paused, and then burst into laughter.

"I…can't…believe…I just…said…said that!"

Steph apparated into the room while Megs was still laughing.

"Oh God, do I WANT to know?"

"Just Margaret being Margaret," Jacky and Lily said together.

"OI!" yelled Megs. "How many times have I told you not to call me by my real name?"

"Oh look, she stopped laughing; I didn't think that was going to be possible for a couple more hours at least," Steph remarked, smirking.

"OI!" Megs was still yelling. She ran at Steph who gave off a high pitched, very girly scream, which was quite unlike her, and started sprinting around the room, Megs right on her tail. Eventually they stopped, laughing and breathing heavily.

"So you guys want to go get our school stuff?" asked Jacky

The other three nodded their consent, and they disapparated

They reappeared just inside the doors of the wizards' pub, the Leaky Cauldron. All four of them waved to Tom as they walked through.

"Good to see you ladies again."

"'Sup Tom?" called Steph and Megs in passable American accents.

"Oh yeah Jacky, we don't have to go find another muggle supermarket because I got my mum to go out and get the stuff for us," Lily said.

"Oh sweet, remember what happened last year?" chuckled Jacky

"Don't remind me," groaned Megs, "That was embarrassing!"

"Well think of it this way," said Steph in a somewhat comforting voice, "at least none of the muggles there knew who the wildly crazy girl rampaging through the isles was."

Megs glared.

"And that's supposed to make me feel better?"

Steph shrugged.

"That's the general idea."

Once they had entered Diagon alley, they headed down to Gringotts to get their school money. Steph and Megs screamed the entire cart ride like it was a muggle rollercoaster ride.

The only thing they really had to buy was their books, so the quartet of girls was quickly done.

"So, what now?" Lily asked

"How about some ice cream at Florean's?" suggested Megs.

"Yeah let's do that."

"Okay," Said Jacky

So they walked up the street to the ice cream parlor that was owned by Florean Fortescue, a young man who had left Hogwarts a few years ago and had inherited his family ice cream business.

When they left to go home, a voice shouted over the noise of the crowd to the girls.

"OI! Evans, Torino, Breen, Newcomb!"

"Aaaawwwww crap." Lily knew exactly who was calling to them. James potter, Quidditch extraordinaire and Hogwarts most eligible bachelor (though that title was shared with Sirius Black). And an extremely arrogant, big-headed, conceited prick. Though that last bit was only in Lily's point of view.

"Come on. Let's go, NOW."

"But Lily –"

"Don't care," Lily dragged Jacky and Steph with her, leaving Megs to hurry in their wake. As soon as they reached the small courtyard between the Leaky Cauldron and the brick wall leading into Diagon Alley they disapparated.

When the four girls had re- entered the Torino house, Lily said she'd be right back, she needed the toilet.

Jacky turned to the other two.

"Ummm guys. James happens to live in this town. And I happened to invite all of the kids in our class from this town to come here tonight. So Lily is gonna be PISSED."

Steph laughed a bit nervously. "Yeah that's gonna go over reeeeeeeeaaaaalll well with dear Lilykins."

Megs frowned. "Wait, how come they are all coming tonight?"

"Well," said Jacky. "Because it's YOUR 17TH BIRTHDAY!" she waved her wand and all the decorations that had previously been in the room reappeared.

"Sweet! So Lily's gonna be all pissed because of my birthday! YES. Wait no; I want Steph to be the one pissed off." Megs pouted.

"Well don't worry about that Megsykins because Black is coming too."

Steph froze.

"What." It wasn't a question.

"Yep, Sirius lives with the Potters now. He ran away from home. Went home once at the end of last term to get some of his things then came to the Potter's. Apparently his uncle is going to leave him his house, but Sirius doesn't have it until he graduates."

"Say what."

"Steph honestly –"

But Steph cut Jacky off.

"So Sirius Black is coming. Whoop-de-bloody-do, I don't care."

"Wait, why is Black coming?" Lily had come back.

"Because I invited all the kids in our class from this town to come here tonight," Said Jacky again.

"So then why… Oh god. No way. You didn't"

"Yeppers Lily, I did."

"Oi, what did I tell you about yeppers?" said Megs, joining the conversation.

"I don't…remember…" said Jacky.

"I told you not to say it. Do you remember that?"

"Yeshhhh."

"You're useless," laughed Megs.

"So when are the demons coming?" asked Steph, referring to Sirius and James.

"Well they and Caroline are coming at like, 6-ish I think. Turns out its only those three so it shouldn't be too bad."

"For you and Megs you mean," said Lily, glaring.

"Corbett's coming? SUH-WEET!" said Megs.

Caroline Corbett was the 5th girl in their year. Somehow all five of them had become immediate friends. Caroline, or Corbs as she was sometimes called, lived in Godric's Hollow, right next door to the Potter family.

Time was ticking down to the last few minutes before 6:00. The four were sitting on the floor of Jacky's bedroom playing a game of Exploding Snap. Lily was sitting looking rather ticked off about something. Megs looked really excited. Jacky was looking calm as normal. Steph looked a little peeved, and kept reaching up to feel her eyebrows… what was left of her eyebrows that is. The doorbell rang and Jacky ran downstairs to let the people in.

Caroline, Sirius, and James all walked in together as the Lily Megs and Steph walked down the stairs.

"Happy birthday, Megs!" James, Sirius and Caroline said together.

"Aw, thanks guys."

"So what are we going to do?" asked James, turning to Jacky.

"I thought we'd let Megs decide."

"Aw yes!" Megs jumped up, pumping her fist. "Quidditch quidditch quidditch quidditch quidditch quidditch quidditch!"

In case it was too hard to tell, Megs played quidditch and was quite the addict. She played seeker for the Gryffindor house team at Hogwarts. The other members of the team were Sirius Black, Caroline Corbett, Stephanie Breen, James Potter, Liam Turner, and William (Will) Collins. They played beater, beater, keeper, chaser, chaser, and chaser respectively. Steph was also a keeper for her football team, which she insisted on calling soccer. She played over the summer with Megs sometimes in America.

"Yeah, um, how about not? I don't play so I don't have any of the balls with me, and you guys don't have your brooms, and there is a muggle town just over a bit so we can't risk it. Any other ideas?" said Jacky.

"Hide and seek? Tag? I know they're little kid games but they'd be so much fun in your vineyard, Jacky," suggested Megs.

"Okay I'm good with that idea, what about you guys?"

"Hide and seek? Are you serious Megs?" Steph looked incredulous

"Yes I am, it is one of the best games of all time!"

"All right, I'm all for it," shrugged James

"You have a vineyard?" asked Sirius.

"Well yeah, hence the name _The Grape_. Duh," said Steph

"Yeah you've never heard that?" asked Lily

"Nope. Do you guys make your own wine and stuff too?" said Sirius

"Yeppers," replied Jacky.

Megs glared at her

"Sorry. But yeah we do."

"Okay are we gonna go out back or what?" asked Caroline impatiently.

"Okay come on. Let's go."

The group went through Jacky's house and out the back door, where vineyards stretched on for a mile.

"Not it!"

"Not it!"

"Not it!"

"Not it!"

"Not it!"

"Not it!"

"Not it!"

Jacky, Lily, Steph, Megs, Sirius and Caroline all pointed at James.

"You."

"Ugh! Dammit! So what are we playing? Hide and seek or tag?"

"Hide and seek first," said Megs

"Okay. You guys have 30 seconds before I start searching. GO!"

They scattered, leaving James to cover his eyes and slowly count to 30.

As Lily ran to find a hiding place, Sirius secretly took note of where she stopped, so he could tell James later on. As James's best friend, Sirius knew how much James liked Lily, and was all for helping him this year.

"READY OR NOT HERE I COME!" shouted James.

He started searching the vineyard, trying to peek through the vines to see his friends.

The first person he found was Sirius, who promptly told him where Lily was. The next was Lily. James snuck up behind her and tapped her on the shoulder, making her jump. Then Jacky. But he couldn't find Steph Caroline and Margaret, who happened to be stalking him. Eventually he caught on and found them behind him. Eventually here having the meaning of 15 minutes later.

"Cheaters!" whined James

"Nuh-uh!" retorted Steph. "We have the right to move around, we just happened to move around in the same pattern as you. Oh, you just got lawyered."

James stuck out his tongue at the three girls.

"Real mature, Prongs," said Sirius, walking over to them.

"How did you find us? We're in the middle of a massive vineyard," asked Caroline.

"Skills."

"You have skills?" said Stephanie scathingly.

"Why yes Breen, I do."

"Well there's a surprise."

"Shut up the both of you. Let's go back to the house," Megs said.

The five of them met Lily and Jacky on the back porch.

"Jesum. what took you so long?" Lily asked

"First, no way did you just say jesum, that's MY word. And b, we stalked Jamesie here so he couldn't find us," said Megs.

"Haha wow you're stupid," laughed Lily. Referring to James, obviously. James put a hurt look on his face. (**A/N: think of jack sparrow in DMC when he's talking to Elizabeth about 'curiosity' and she walks away)**

"Moving on," Jacky said quickly "who wants to go get some food? I know I'm starving."

After a chorus of

"I do."

"Me."

"Oh dear god, YES PLEASE."

"Christ Breen, we aren't living in a famine here."

"Shut up, Black."

They all went inside to the kitchen where an abundance of mostly unhealthy food was present.

Of course then Mrs. Torino came in and told them all to stop eating so they would have an appetite for dinner, which happened to be pizza.

"Wait Corbett, you eat pizza now?" asked James.

"Yup."

"Since when?"

"Since the end of June."

"So know you're just a vegetarian? Not a vegetarian - and – pizza - hating person?

"Uh-huh."

"Oh. Cool."

After the 4 pizzas were demolished, Jacky brought out a cake – white with chocolate frosting – with seventeen candles on it. Megs blew out the candles after a round of 'Happy Birthday' and soon the cake was demolished as well.

They moved into the parlor, where Jacky had her muggle TV and couches. On a table next to the largest couch in front of the TV was a pile of presents.

"No way, thanks guys!" said Megs, spotting the presents, "Wait but how did those get there?"

"I got them from the others earlier today and then I just hid them from you. It's easier than it looks," shrugged Jacky.

"Oh cool. HEY!"

"Wow that took you a long time," chuckled Lily.

"Shut up and let me open my presents."

Megs picked up the top one, which happened to be from Lily.

"You know what? Since you were mean I'm going to make you wait till last."

Lily stuck out her tongue at Megs, "Fine. Be that way."

The next one Megs picked up was from James. Inside the box was a mile gauge for a broomstick.

"Sweet James thanks! This is gonna be awesome for flying over the summer."

"Yeah I know you travel a lot by broom over the summer, so I figured this would be pretty helpful."

The next present was a speedometer, also for a broomstick, and it was from Steph.

Looking up, Megs remarked, "You know, I was actually expecting something really stupid or evil. So thanks."

Steph shrugged, "Well I thought about it of course, but I figured that since it's your seventeenth I'd be nice for once."

"Aaaw, thanks stephykins!" said Megs, leaning over to hug Steph. Steph felt like she was going to throw up when Megs hugged her and called her 'the name', as she referred to it.

"All right! All right! Niceness over! Get off of me you parasite."

"Back to normal," muttered Jacky to James, who started chuckling.

"Call me when _that _happens," he replied.

"Wait, Steph you told me that your gift was going to be international." Asked Lily, confused.

"Well it IS from Spain, and just wait till u see her Christmas one!"

Now Megs opened her present from Jacky.

"HOLY CRAP NO WAY!" it was a recording (again, a muggle thing. Megs was half and half) of the muggle show The Office season 2. It was a known fact among the group there that Megs and Steph absolutely loved that show, but the American version. According to them the British version sucked.

"Haha, I knew you'd like that. Now you and Steph can last the school year until Christmas with your little magical thingy that plays muggle stuff."

Megs was still jumping up and down on the couch when she opened her next gift, a Honeydukes gift card from Caroline.

"Are you insane?" Megs looked at Caroline with an odd expression on her face, "No, I'm serious. Are you effing INSANE?"

"What is it?" asked Sirius, leaning over to see the small card that Megs was holding.

"Holy shit Corbett do you want to make her hyper year long??" Sirius was only a bit incredulous.

"No, she just spends all her money on candy, so I figured I'd help her out."

"What is everyone's obsession with the word 'figured' today?" Megs seemed very confused. "Anyways thanks so much Corbett."

"No problem, happy birthday. Er, is there any chance I might get something out of this too?"

"I'll think about it," say Megs slyly.

Sirius picked up his present to give it to Megs, but he looked a bit sheepish.

"Well after Corbett's this is going to seem a bit lame, but I got you a Zonko's gift card."

He handed Megs an envelope from which she pulled out, true enough, a gift card to Zonko's gift certificate.

"No Sirius, this isn't lame at all! This is going to be awesome!" Megs was already planning the havoc she could wreak on her classmates with the Zonko's credit she now had.

"Now will you open mine?" Lily was practically falling out of her seat with anticipation.

"FINE. Give it here already." Megs grabbed the present and ripped it open. The next second she screamed and leapt on Lily to give her the biggest hug of her life.

"Thank you thank you thank you thank you thank yooooouuuu!"

"What _is_ it?" asked Steph.

"I got her Katie Newcomb's shirt."

"Wow,"

"She'll never stop wearing that," said James.

"Dammit Lily! I wanted to have the best gift!" yelled Jacky, lightly shoving Lily.

"Well I'm just better than you."

"Huh you wish."

Butting in Megs said, "Thanks so much guys, this is so awesome."

"No problem," – Steph and Sirius.

"You're welcome," – Lily and Jacky.

"Happy birthday!" - Caroline and James.

"You know what I really feel like doing?" said Lily

"What?"

"Watching a scary movie. I mean I know it's nowhere near Halloween, but it's still fun."

"Yeah! Let's do that," said Megs.

"Wait what's a movie?" asked James.

"It's a muggle thing. You'll like it," said Jacky.

Half an hour later the seven teenagers were curled up on the couch with popcorn and Megs's favorite muggle candy, M&Ms, watching Psycho, an old black and white movie that was scaring the crap out of them so far.

Lily was so scared that she didn't even care that she was snuggled up against James with her head buried in his arm. Steph was exactly the same, except with Sirius. Jacky had her hands over her eyes, but Megs and Caroline were able to hold their own.

As soon as the movie was over, the group shakily unrolled their sleeping bags, excepting Sirius who opted to sleep on the couch. But no one wanted to sleep; the movie was so scary that even the boys thought they would have nightmares. The group sat around on the floor, and Megs and Steph leaned against the couch.

"So what are you guys planning on being after school?" asked Lily

"Aaaahhh! Don't say 'after' when referring to Hogwarts unless you're referring to classes being over." Steph threw a pillow at Lily.

"And that was supposed to hurt?" Lily asked.

"Oh shut it." Steph crossed her arms and put on her 'frown face" which actually looked quite idiotic.

"Anyways, I'm planning on working in the muggle relations office in the ministry," said Jacky.

"Coolness. I'm gonna work in the ministry too, I'm just not sure where," Corbett said.

"Nice, I'm going to play quidditch. I've sent my application to a few teams, hopefully one of them will pick me," Margaret said.

"Wait, what? I thought you said you wanted to be an auror," James said.

"Yeah but my parents threw a hissy fit. My dad was all for it, since he used to be one, but my mom legit flipped out. I guess after all these years she actually does care if anything happens to me. Huh, who would've known?"

The others nodded, they all knew Meg's had more issues with her mum than a magazine stand.

"Aw that sucks. My dad said that if I was going to fight in this war, there was nothing he could do to stop me, and that I might as well have the best training out there. I think my mum knew there was no stopping me, but she's still worried, duh," James said

"But I'm still going to take the auror classes, who knows? If I don't get picked by a team at least I'll have that." Megs was still talking, she didn't know when to shut up.

"I'm being an auror too, but personally I doubt my parents will give a damn," Sirius said darkly.

"Why?" asked Steph.

"Because at the end of last term I told them to screw themselves and ran away to live with James here. I'd been coming for a while, since his parents are my real parents, I swear. The only bad thing is that I had to leave all my stuff at the black home, but luckily me and James are about the same size."

"Wow."

"That's pretty intense."

"Holy shnickerbaums." Said Steph

Silence.

"What the fuck." - Megs

"…" - Corbett

"Wow." – James

"Breen I swear you have… you have something that's wrong with you." – Sirius

"Well, I was going to say a bad word, and I didn't want to, but I was already halfway through the word, so I ended up with holy shnickerbaums."

"Moving on… what are you doing Evans?" Sirius asked

"Healer."

James nodded. "That makes sense. With your skill at potions and charms you'd be a good healer."

"Er, thanks."

"So I'm playing quidditch, Lily's a healer, Sirius and James are aurors, Jacky and Corbett in the ministry, what about you Steph?"

"I'm going to be a crime scene investigator."

"A say whatta?" asked Megs

"Its people who go in after the aurors and like investigate the crime scene and stuff. It's cool. We get to solve crimes. Of course we all know who's doing all the bad stuff now. Moldywarts duh."

"Coolness," Caroline

"So you guys excited for this year?" asked Sirius

"Umm, duh," said Jacky

"I know Lily's gonna be really excited," said Megs, grinning.

"Why's that?" asked James, who had already guessed the answer.

"Because I'm Head Girl this year, and apparently this year the two heads get their own little common room and special rooms and stuff."

James and Sirius looked at each other.

"What?" asked Lily.

"Would you happen to know who the head boy is?" asked James a bit tentatively.

"No, for some reason it wasn't in the letter. Do you know who it is?"

"Well it's a Gryffindor boy from our year."

"Obviously," added Sirius, referring to the Head Boy being in the 7th year.

Lily gasped. "Oh yes its Remus! I knew he'd be it!"

James grimaced.

"Actually, it's not."

"Wait, what? Why not?"

"Well apparently it's not always a prefect, it's just the two people in the school with the top grades, and the boy at the top this year is me," said James.

"Wait so then why has it always been a prefect?" Lily asked, clearly not registering the last part of James's sentence.

"I guess because the top people in the year are usually prefects."

"OH MY GOD!"

"Yeah I was wondering when that would come out," whispered Sirius to James, who had his eyes shut tight

"Yep, it's me."

"Dumbledore's gone mad. Officially," remarked Caroline.

"Wasn't he already mad?" asked Jacky, to no one in particular.

"How on earth could you be the boy in 7th year with the top grades? You never do your work, you're always goofing off or causing trouble, you take nothing seriously, do you _need_ me to continue?" Lily was practically screeching.

James's temper flared. "Well, if you took the time to get to know me instead of using every chance you get to make me seem like some jerk who only cares about himself, you would know that I study in my room, where no one but my closest friends can see me. What you see is a façade-"

"Whoa, big word," Caroline murmured to herself.

"-a performance I put on for the entire school to watch. So don't make like you know me, because you don't."

The entire room was quiet. Lily tried to think of a response to show just how offended she was.

"Sorry, Potter, I didn't know. Christ, you're such a prick."

Everyone gaped at Lily's resistance to see how good of a guy James really was. James opened his mouth to retaliate in an undoubtedly harsh way when,

"Hey guys, Joy and Breen fell asleep," Sirius whispered

"Ha, yeah I think they fell asleep at the same time," Said Caroline

"Just like meals at school huh?"

Somehow Steph and Megs created a distraction without even realizing it.

Megs and Stephanie had both fallen asleep, reminding the others of the way the two of them always rose to leave at the exact same time after breakfast, lunch, or dinner at school. The five still awake looked at the two friends who were propped up against the couch. Meg's head was leaning on Stephanie's shoulder, and Steph's was leaning on top of Megs's.

"Aw, that's so cute," Said Lily

"They would never let that happen if they were awake."

"Quick someone go get a camera!"

Jacky ran to get a camera from another room, and quickly snapped a picture of the two sleeping girls when she came back.

"I'm definitely saving that for blackmail."

"Good idea," Laughed James.

Minutes passed. Slowly the two boys, Jacky and Lily fell asleep, and only Caroline was left awake.

"So self, what's going on? Not much, you? Not much either self."

Caroline looked around.

"Wow, conversations with myself. Damn that's sad. Thank god I'm the only one awake to hear this. Of course if anyone else were awake, I would be talking to them, not myself."

Right after she said this, James woke with a start, shouting.

"NO, GET AWAY! YOU CAN'T TAKE HER!" then he spotted Caroline, who was looking at him like he was the strangest thing she had ever seen in her life.

"Right. Sorry. I'll go back to sleep now." And James lied down again.

Rolling her eyes, Caroline decided to go to sleep herself.

The next morning, Caroline was the first to wake up, then Sirius, Jacky, James, Megs, Lily, and Steph.

"Kay what do you guys want for breakfast?" Jacky asked, then immediately hit herself in the forehead. "Oh crap."

"CHOCOLATE CHIP PANCAKES!" Yelled Megs

"CHOCOLATE CHIP PANCAKES!" Shouted Steph, a bit slow on the uptake.

Sirius turned to Jacky. "Do they always do that?"

"Yeppers," she replied.

"Jacky," growled Caroline.

"Right, sorry. So pancakes? Who wants plain or blueberry?"

Seeing the look on Steph and Megs's face, she said "Don't worry I'm just asking the others what they want."

"Oh, okay," said Steph.

"Phew," went Megs.

The seven teenagers sleepily made their way to the kitchen, where Mrs. Torino sat reading the morning prophet and drinking a cup of coffee.

"Morning sunshines," she said cheerily.

"Mum stop. Nobody can be this cheery in the morning but you," mumbled Jacky, who had returned to her sleepy state.

"Well that just means I should be all the cheerier. So what's for breakfast? Eggs? Bacon? Toast? Kippers?"

"Wrong question mum," said Jacky.

"PANCAKES!" yelled Corbett, Steph and Megs.

"All right, all right," chuckled Mrs. Torino and she set about making pancake batter.

Twenty minutes later the whole group was sitting around the large kitchen table eating a mix of pancakes eggs and bacon.

"Man these are good!" said Megs through a mouthful of delicious chocolate chip pancakes a la Serena Torino.

"Tell me about it," said Steph.

"No kidding," said Caroline.

"Don't talk with your mouth full," joked Sirius.

"Shut up Black no one gives a damn," shot Steph.

"Language," Sirius and Mrs. Torino said at the same time.

"Sorry," said Steph meekly.

"Oh, did my mum ever come by last night?" asked Lily.

"Yes she did actually. And Mrs. Breen came too; we had some tea early last night while you all were watching your movie."

"So what's going on today?" Mrs. Torino asked

Jacky was the first to finish her bite so she answered, "Well Lily's going home because she has some things to do, and I'm going over with her. Then I think you guys are going over to James's place to play quidditch?"

"Yeah, our stuff is over there," said James, pointing to himself and Sirius, "and you three," now he pointed to Steph, Caroline and Megs, "brought your stuff right?"

"Yeah."

"Yeppers."

Caroline groaned.

"Oh not you too, Megs."

"Well actually I've been saying this for a while now. And you aren't going to stop me, so deal."

Megs stuck her tongue out a Caroline.

James stepped in before a 'fight' could start.

"Well we're going to head on; we'll see you guys on the train. Let's go ladies."

James, Sirius, Megs, Caroline and Steph left the house after thanking Mrs. Torino and Jacky to make their way over to the Potter house.

Shortly after, Jacky and Lily also left for Lily's house.

All would be separated until September the first for the start of their seventh and final year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. So much was going to change that year, and they had no idea.

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**A/N: ****Clarification: Katie Newcomb is a quidditch player that megs idolizes. ****So longest chapter yet, soot (insert high-five here). If you guys have any ideas or ****criticism**** or w/e go ahead. ****There's**** a little bar to your bottom left, it says 'submit a review' then it says 'go'. Feel free, trust me. Love reviews. Next chapter ****won't**** be up for a bit I don't think since ill be working on the ****5****th**** chapter of my other ff, James Potter Must Die (JPMD). But I think I might make that one shortish, so I can work on this one. ****Oh,**** and thanks to my good friends Caroline and Steph****, without you two there would be only one idiotic character in this story. ****Thanks for reading!**

**-**** Wicked**


	5. September the First

**Disclaimer: I clearly do not own Harry ****Potter****, or anything associated with it as created by J. K. Rowling**

**A/N: ****Please review. Whether criticism or not they do help, and are greatly appreciated.**** Oh and have any of you ever read Bloody Jack by L.A. Meyer? If so tell me, I have some interesting news****… (Insert**** evil laugh here). ****MAJOR thanks go out to LuthiensDream and Shetlandlace, my two faithful reviewers : )**

**Chapter 5: September the First**

September the first came quicker than ever for the new seventh years in Gryffindor. Each was hoping for something new to happen that year. Midst all the war around them, the seven people this story focuses on, and a couple others, all hoped for a bud of romance. Some did not know it yet, but they soon would.

When the clock at platform 9 ¾ read ten minutes till departure, Jax, Steph and Lily were all sitting in a compartment near the back of the train, the same one they had sat in for the past twelve rides to and from Hogwarts. Lily kept nervously checking her watch, Megs still hadn't shown up. Caroline was out on the platform looking for her.

With three minutes to go, Megs came sprinting through the barrier, pushing her cart in front of her.

"JOY WHERE THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?" yelled Caroline, running over to help Megs lift her trunk onto the train. Megs grabbed the cage of her owl, Fiyero, and jumped on the train as the conductor shut the door behind her.

"Sleeping, then driving, then running, then jumping," Megs replied.

"Oh God why do I ask?" asked Caroline.

"Beats me. So where are we? Usual compartment?" Megs replied.

"Um, duh," said Caroline, looking a little incredulous.

"All right all right, chill. I didn't know if any first years had taken it over or something."

"You know that if they did I would beat them to a pulp."

"Yeah and they would never come to Hogwarts again," concluded Megs, and the two friends walked down the train corridor to their compartment, dragging Megs's trunk and owl.

When they finally reached their compartment it was to find the 7th year ravenclaw prefect there too, Kenzie Parker.

"Hey guys how were your summers?" after she stowed away her trunk and Fiyero, Megs turned around to sit down and was faced with her five friends staring her down, arms crossed.

"What, what…did, I…do?"

"Margaret Joy sit down and tell us about your summer." Lily ordered Megs, who looked extraordinarily confused. And that was saying something.

"O-kaaay… but don't call me Margaret."

Megs sat down, still looking confused about why her friends were treating her this way.

"Er, what do you want to know about my summer?"

"Oh lets see," said Steph, mock thinking, "hmmm, maybe what happened with certain people at certain places."

"Huh?"

"Just tell us everything Megs!" said Kenzie, exasperatedly.

"Okay then, well as you guys know I go to WCC pretty much right after third term ends –"

"Wait, what does that stand for again?" asked Kenzie.

"WCC? It stands for Wellesley Country Club. It's in Massachusetts, where I live during the summer holidays. Anyways moving on, I'm on the swim team there, and I play tennis and golf blah blah blah all these muggle sports that are probably really confusing you right now. I hang with my friends from Wellesley: Julia, Stephanie, Katherine, Kelly, Amanda, Will, Teddy, Christian, Oliver, Devon and Hillary, Patrick, and all the lifeguards and golf and tennis pros who I won't name 'cause they'll just confuse you.

She stopped; everyone in the compartment was staring at her, mouths hanging open.

"What?"

Jax recovered first,

"I can't believe you just listed all of that in one breath."

Megs laughed,

"Well I guess I'm just skilled. Anyways, life is basically awesome because we pretty much own the place. At least we act like we do. But then after championships for swim team I go down to Cape Cod, duh, Corbett's been there, she comes and stays with me for a bit. Down there its Sally, Liam, and Michaela. So why are you guys wondering? You know what I do every summer, mum is in Boston working with the Salem academy and the wizard community there, you know, 'foreign relations',"

Megs rolled her eyes,

"And dad is up at WCC golfing and doing his fun 'vacation – from – ministry' stuff."

In case it wasn't obvious, Megs is a pureblood, her mom works for the ministry in the auror department and her dad is also an auror, but likes to take the summer off – even if a war's going on.

"Joy we didn't ask for a life story, we just wanted to know what you did," said Steph.

"Go back to the WCC bit," said Caroline mischievously.

Now Megs started to pick up on what they were hinting, "Yeah I saw Will, so? We see him practically every day! Not a big deal that he also lives in Mass during the holidays."

"That's what you think," muttered Steph.

"What?"

"Ignore me," said Steph, assuming an innocent expression.

"Gladly."

Steph stuck out her tongue and crossed her arms.

Megs turned to Lily, "So tell me dear Lilykins, I guess Potter is going to be harassing you more than ever this year since he's now working with you."

"Ugh, I KNOW! I swear if he ruins this year by – wait, WHAT? **Working** with me? What?"

Megs looked around sheepishly,

"Oh crap, did she not know?"

"No shit, Sherlock," said Jax, rolling her eyes.

"Oh. Well, know you know!" said Megs smiling at Lily rather guiltily. Lily responded by sarcastically smiling, then saying,

"So how is he going to be working with me?"

Megs replied,

"Um, anyone else wanna take this one?" when they all pointed at her she shrugged and said quickly,

"Maybethefactthathesheadboy?"

"Come again?"

"I said maybe the fact that he's Head Boy would be the reason that he's working with you."

"Bloody FUCK no way! Seriously, you're joking right? Tell me you're joking."

It's probably unnecessary to say that Lily flipped out upon hearing the news that James Potter, doubtless the man who annoyed her most in their year, was to be working with her for the entire year. In the compartment next to Lily's, her shouts could be heard. That compartment also happened to be the Marauder's compartment. They along with some other seventh year boys, Sam Harrison, Will Turner, and Shaun Fitzpatrick stopped talking when they heard the muffled shouts.

James of course immediately recognized Lily's voice, and said,

"Oh god, I bet she just found out."

Sirius laughed, his bark-like laughter spreading around the small room.

"Ha, good luck with the meeting mate."

James smacked himself in the forehead, "That's right! It starts in less than fifteen minutes. Should I go get Lily so she doesn't forget in her shock and anger?"

The others shrugged.

"If you want to," said Peter.

"Your neck," remarked Sam.

James gave them a 'whatever' look and left the compartment.

"Man am I glad I'm not in his place," said Will.

"Mate so am I, so am I," said Sirius, looking almost gratefully at the door.

Out in the corridor James knocked on the door of Lily's compartment. Steph, who was closest, opened it.

"What's up mate?"

"Er, Lily can I talk to you?"

"NO."

"It's about our meeting, it's in seven minutes."

"Oh, fine then. Talk to you later, guys."

"Bye Lily."

"See ya."

"HAVE FUN!"

"Shut up Steph."

"Why is it always me who has to shut up?"

"Because you're just like that mate," laughed James, and he walked out after Lily.

Once the door had clicked shut, Caroline turned on Jax,

"All right missy, tell us what's going on with Shaun."

Jax had been dating Shaun Fitzpatrick since November of sixth year, and it was obvious to everyone that they were completely perfect for each other. The one difference between Jax and Shaun and Lily and James was that both parties saw the perfect-ness of them being together.

"Er, not much actually. I saw him during most of the holiday, it was nice."

"It was NICE? Nice? That's all you have for us?" cried Megs.

"Uh, yep that's it."

Megs stuck out her tongue.

Kenzie now turned on Steph,

"Anyone you fancy? Perchance a certain raven haired, grey eyed seventh year in Gryffindor?"

"Black?" scoffed Steph, "As if, we're so alike we'd kill each other."

"You'd kill each other even if you weren't alike," said Jax.

"Very true," agreed Steph.

Jax looked at Caroline,

"Any man in your future?"

"I dunno," Caroline shrugged, "We'll see what the year brings I guess."

Megs spoke up,

"Just wondering, but why were you guys so curious about my summer with Will?"

"No reason," they all said at the same time.

"Okay," said Megs slowly, not believing them.

"OH SHIT MAN I'VE GOTTA GO!" yelled Kenzie.

"Why – ohh, prefect meeting," said Megs.

"You better hurry, it starts in one minute," said Jax, and Kenzie sprinted out of the compartment.

She arrived just in time and slid into a seat next to Remus.

"Hi, son."

Remus looked at her oddly,

"Er, what?"

Kenzie shook her head, "Sorry, Megs has been teaching me 'American' talk."

"Oh."

"Yup."

Just then the meeting started, and Lily spoke up.

"Welcome all of you; we are the Head Boy and Girl this year. For those of you who don't know me, I am Lily Evans, and this is–" but James cut her off,

"James Potter."

Lily glanced at him sharply before returning to the group of prefects in front of her.

"Anyways, for the fifth year prefects…"

Throughout the meeting Lily constantly tested James, pausing often to let him take charge of the meeting, and surprised when he even interrupted her to add his input.

At the end, when the other prefects were getting up to go back to their compartments or start patrolling the train corridors, Lily motioned to James to hang back.

When it was finally only the two of them left in the compartment, Remus Lupin having given them quizzical looks on their way out, Lily turned to James.

"Well Potter, I must say you did rather well for your first day."

James's face went from slightly glum seriousness, to true excitement that Lily had thought he'd done well.

Lily saw this, and said,

"Hey, I said good for your first day, I was expecting you to fool around, if show up at all. Maybe you do have an ounce of responsibility in your arrogant head."

And with that she turned on her heel and left the compartment.

Reaching her own compartment, Lily saw the remnants of lunch trolley produce, and said

"The trolley didn't already come by did it?"

Steph shook her head.

"No, a couple of us just got hungry, so we went looking for it. We even saved you a cauldron cake."

Sitting down Lily hungrily devoured the cauldron cake, waiting until she finished to answer the others' impatient stares.

"You know, he was actually alright."

"B-b-bu-buh- what?" spluttered Steph.

"I know. Crazy right? Maybe he was shocked into subordination." Remarked Lily.

"HA!" shouted Jacky.

"Hand it over ladies." Said Caroline, holding out her hand to Steph and Megs.

"Bloody hell." Megs muttered, rummaging through her trunk. Eventually she emerged with 4 galleons in her hand.

"Thank you very much." Said Caroline, collecting her winnings.

"Right, you, come here." Megs turned to Steph.

Immediately the girl ran to the other side of the compartment, Megs advancing on her.

Steph swore, "No I will not!"

"It was a bet; you lost, I won, I get to slap you. You agreed by taking the bet, or do you want to consult the slap bet commissioner hmm?" megs pointed to Jacky, who sat watching the exchange with an amused look on her face.

For a moment Steph looked torn, then cringed, "Fine."

In two strides megs closed the distance between her and Steph, paused, then slapped Steph so hard across the face that she toppled backwards into the window of the carriage and down onto the floor.

Looking up from her position on the shaking floor, Steph held a hand to her cheek.

"Bloody hell Joy, it didn't have to be that hard!"

"So sure?" smirked Megs, "Let me consult the slap bet commissioner."

"Okay, okay, it had to be that hard." Caved Steph, "But still…"

Lily spoke up, "Wait megs, you bet that Potter would be the same as usual with Caroline, but bet that he would act normal with Steph?"

Megs scratched her head, "Er, yep that would seem about right." She said.

"Mental." Muttered Lily.

Several hours passed, lost among talk, laughter, and of course food, as the lunch trolley came not long after the two heads had returned to their compartments. But dusk fell, and night followed, and it was time for everyone to head up to the castle, by boat or carriage, it mattered not, for the start of term feast.

Sirius climbed into one of the last carriages with Remus, Peter, and the other boys, rubbing his hands in anticipation of the annual feast.

"If we don't get up there soon I swear I'll eat the giant squid!" he cried.

Peter was the last to clamber into the carriage, yet he did not shut the door, allowing the carriage to move.

"Wormtail, did you not just hear me?" Sirius looked incredulous. "Shut the door so we can _move_ please."

Shaking his head, the rat like boy replied, "No can do mate, James told me to wait for him."

Sure enough moments later James bounded into the carriage, slamming the door behind him.

"Let's get this thing moving, I'm starved!"

Sirius crossed his arms, "What in Merlin's name took you so long? I've been sitting here with my stomach in agony!"

"Head business mate." Said James, clapping his best friend on the back. "Have to work hard y'know."

Remus let out a small smile, "Yes Sirius didn't you know? Our little prongs here has to impress his _dear_ co-head Miss Lily Evans."

James glowered at Remus.

Soon enough, the sorting had finished, as always with tiny Professor Flitwick scurrying out of the hall carrying the hat and stool. Dumbledore stood up, pausing a moment to survey the room of black clad students with his always twinkling blue eyes from behind their half moon spectacles.

"Welcome," he boomed, "Welcome all of you, new and old. Before you eat, let me introduce our newest addition to the teaching staff, Professor Mendel, who will be taking over Defense Against the Dark Arts from Professor Kennerall. I am sure you older students will remember him, er, _fondly_."

He paused to allow the ripple of laughter and snickers throughout the room. Once that had died down, there was a round of polite applause as the new teacher, Professor Kennerall, stood up. He was a middle aged brown haired man, with a stocky build that seemed to give off an aura of professional authority, yet his mismatched blue and hazel eyes shone kindly.

"One last matter of business before I allow you to enjoy our wonderful feast; will Mr. James Potter and Miss Lily Evans please stand up."

Lily blushed slightly; she could almost hear the thoughts of the students, 'why is Dumbledore singling out the two people who despise each other possibly the most in this school?'

"They will be your Head Boy and Girl this year."

Silence. Absolute _silence._ This was possibly the most unexpected announcement in the history of Hogwarts. The only people in the room who did not look entirely shell shocked were Lily's and James's friends, Dumbledore, and Professor McGonagall. And of course Professor Kennerall, as he knew nothing of the years of conflict between the two people standing at the Gryffindor table.

Then, surprisingly, another round of applause started, led by the Gryffindor table. Eventually Dumbledore made himself heard over the cheers and clapping,

"Right, three words and off to your dinners: jerky, herald, stagger, deviant."

And with that he sat down, signaling the start of the feast.

As he reached for a platter of mashed potatoes Sirius said

"What was all that about."

Remus shrugged

"Knowing Dumbledore it probably means something."

The feast passed in companionable chatter and laughter, and when the final crumbs of desserts vanished, Dumbledore stood up yet again to address the school.

He was much more serious, as he addressed the school about the growing threat of Voldemort, but they had no need to fear as the protective charms around the school had been increased over their summer holiday.

"Prefects will you please lead your new house mates to your common room, then off to bed with you all, classes do in fact start tomorrow, and I am sure your teachers want you at your best. Good night!"

Before lily and James could leave however, professor McGonagall came down the row and said

"Potter, Evans, please proceed immediately to Dumbledore's office. Nothing to worry about," she added upon seeing the looks on their faces, "Just head business is all. Oh and potter?"

James turned.

"Yes, Professor?"

"Dumbledore has his reasons."

And James stood there, amazed as the stern professor he knew smiled, and vanished among the crowds.

**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**

**Right well, I decided to end it there, so as to post this tonight. ****I truly am sorry for the long wait, but high school sucks and I'm continuously swamped with work. Question: (and you can answer this in a review****) would you like me to write shorter chapters and update faster, or keep them this length (around 10 pages) and update about every 4 weeks or so? Please please review! I know how many people read each chapter, and I'm sad to say I only have 2 reviewers for the few hundred who have read this story. Otherwise…happy middle of January!**

**-wicked**


	6. Just Friends

**A/N: Hey, don't blame me for the lack in updating, blame your own lazy non-reviewing arses! (jkjk) But really, reviews are to writing as gasoline is to cars (good analogy, huh?) As far as I know, Luthien's-Dream and shetlandlace are the only ones reading this, so if anyone wants me to update, likes it, hates it, please tell me**

_**There she goes again**_

_**The girl I'm in love with**_

_**It's cool we're just friends**_

_**We walk the halls at school**_

_**We know it's casual**_

_**It's cool we're just…**_

Chapter 6: Just Friends

As James and Lily made their way to Dumbledore's office they contemplated what the password could be. When James had asked Professor McGonagall what it was she merely replied that it was a magical sweet.

"Why do you think she didn't want to tell us?" queried James.

Lily shrugged, "Maybe she just wanted us to figure it out on our own."

"Alright," said James, "Er, Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans?"

"I doubt it," Lily shook her head. "He told me a few years ago he had a bad experience with those when he was younger."

James snorted, "How many years ago do you reckon that was?"

Lily glanced at him with such a look on her face that he immediately sobered.

"So, er, chocolate frog?"

"Licorice Wand?"

"Fizzing Whisbees?"

"Oh god I hope not, those things have billywhig propellers in them."

James made a face, "Ew, really? That's rather disgusting."

After pausing a moment, he seemed to accept the fact that one of his favorite candies contained animal parts, and he continued,



"Ice Mice?"

"Droobles?"

"Fudge!" exclaimed James as the pair reached the gargoyle sentry, and amazingly it jumped aside instantaneously.

They stared.

"Well that certainly saves time," remarked Lily before promptly stepping on the moving staircase. "Come on Potter."

He jumped on as the staircase sped up, and as he rapped the door with the griffin doorknocker, they clearly heard Dumbledore's voice call,

"Enter!"

"Ah, Miss Evans and Mr. Potter, I have been expecting you," he waved at the two chairs in front of his desk, "Please, take a seat."

When they had done so, he leaned forward, chin resting upon peaked fingertips.

"Now you both know that you are the Heads of this school this year, and as such, you are expected to be responsible and look out for the younger students. Especially try to help the first years learn their way around the castle. I am sure you remember how terrifying this castle must have been when you were merely eleven.

"As for social events during the year, you may have noticed that last year I made the decision to add several Hogsmeade trips and events for the older students such as dances – I believe you recall the Yule Ball?"

Lily and James both nodded,

"Wasn't that a take- off of the Yule Ball that was always held during the Triwizard Tournament, sir?" Asked Lily

Dumbledore's eyes twinkled, "Very good Miss Evans, it was indeed. Now I believe that these such balls would raise moral, and house unity. There is nothing like a good party to get peoples spirits high, eh?" He could not help but look at James as he said this, it was a well known fact among the students and faculty of Hogwarts that James and the marauders threw parties at the drop of a hat.

"Nothing better, sir," James agreed whole heartedly.

Dumbledore continues, "Now it is up to you and the prefects, and any other volunteers who are willing to help you plan and set up these balls and such, but you will have to have either me or Professor McGonagall approve. Some days I might suggest are Halloween, Valentine's Day – I love that holiday, by the by, it's so invigorating – the end of the year, and Christmas and New Year's time or Easter if many people are staying at school for the holidays."



Noticing the two students in front of him attempting to stifle yawns, he consulted his unusual watch and exclaimed, "Goodness me look at the time! It's nearly quarter to ten o'clock now. My, even a thirty minute meeting is long for me! Good night!"

Being dismissed, the Head Boy and Girl stood up and bid their headmaster goodnight, but before they could leave Dumbledore called for them to wait.

"I nearly forgot to mention – my mind must be slipping – the password to your dorm room is 'Fortuna Bona', you can find it if you continue up the stairs past your previous dorms. There is an entrance on both the boys' and the girl's side, so you should have no issue accessing them. Now I believe I have talked enough, I bid you adieu."

When Professor Dumbledore didn't hear James and Lily exit his office after looking down at one of several rolls of parchment on his desk, he looked up again.

"Yes?" He said, feigning innocence.

James snorted; he never knew that his headmaster had it in him to tease his students.

Lily shot him a sharp look before continuing,

"Headmaster, do you truly think it is, er, _wise_ for us to share dormitories?" if James hadn't known better, he would have sworn that Lily Evans looked scared at that moment in time.

"Well, Miss Evans, would you mind telling my why you think it unwise for my two responsible heads of house share a small common room, with their own separate rooms leading off of it? Surely you would rather your own room in comparison to the crowded dormitory?" he looked at her questioningly, but neither the boy nor the girl in front of him missed the mischievous twinkle that came from behind the half moon spectacles.

Lily looked taken aback for a moment, "Well, I, I mean it's, it's _Potter_ of all people Headmaster!"

Dumbledore merely blinked, "And? Potter what? Would you mind elaborating, Miss Evans?"

Lily blustered for a moment before huffily replying, "No." In a rather defensive voice.

"Excellent!" cried Dumbledore, "Now, I believe there may still be a few wandering first years out in the corridors just waiting for a kind older student to lead them to Gryffindor Common Room."

Recognizing their dismissal, James and Lily left.

Sure enough, there was a group of three small first years wandering around the fourth floor that had been separated from the prefect leading the other first years to the dormitories.

When they saw the two seventh years approaching them, the two boys hurriedly whispered to the young girl, who looked positively petrified before speaking up,

"Do you know where the G-Gryffindor common r-room is?" she asked, looking anywhere but at the people she was asking, and shaking so much that James was positive she would break into millions of little pieces.

"Well," James smiled at Lily, "I suppose you could say we do."

The three little ones breathed an audible sigh of relief.

"Thank God! I thought we'd be wandering out here all night until that Mr. Filch caught us!" said one of the boys.

James chuckled, "I can sympathize with you there, mate. I'm James, by the by, James Potter. This is Lily Evans; we're both seventh years in Gryffindor."

The boy who had just spoken held out his hand, "Hi I'm Keegan Sevani, but you can call me Keg; this is Brianna West, but you can call her Bria; and this is –

"I'm Adam Evigan the fourth, but you can call me Marble," Said the other boy, sticking out his hand. The girl merely nodded shyly.

Keegan had short, spiky dirty blonde hair, and for only being eleven had a strong build. James could tell just from looking at him that he would make a good Quidditch player. On the other hand, Marble had a curly deep brown mop of hair that reached his shoulders, and a very slight build.

"Just follow us, the Common room is on the seventh floor," said Lily, beckoning the first years to fall in line behind her. Ordinarily James would take the opportunity to walk with her, but he wanted to talk to Keg.

"Have you ever played Quidditch before?" James nearly crossed his fingers; the boy just looked like a natural.

But Keg shook his head, "No, I'm from the city so there was no way I could ever try, even though my parents are magical. The most I've flown is on a little toy broomstick in circles in the house. I've always wanted to though."

"What about you two?" James asked, addressing Bria and Marble.

"I can't wait for next week! It's going to be so awesome! Flying and quidditch are the best things to happen to the world since the invention of belch powder." It was clear from this statement that Marble was one of those people who are easily excited.

Bria merely shrugged. "I've flown before," she said quietly, "It's fun."

"So are you two friends, or dating, or what?" asked Adam.

James looked at Lily, who said,

"Yeah, we're friends."

"Got it," Adam said.

By now they had reached the portrait of the Fat Lady. After calmly stating "Newfangular," Lily stepped through the portrait hole, smiling at the gasps that the three first years tailing her emitted. Dinner had ended just over half an hour ago, and the Common Room was still full of students. After directing their new first year acquaintances to their dorms, James and Lily went up their respective spiral staircases on each side of the Common room to find their new abode.

What they found was a cozy miniature version of the common room below them, with four doors leading out. James and Lily each stood in one door, meaning the other two must be the bedrooms.

Sure enough, as they opened the doors they found two bedrooms, fairly the size of the dormitories below them. Lily was surprised, she had expected them to be painted the Gryffindor colors, but instead her room was a pale yellow. This, she supposed, could also just be a softer shade of the Gryffindor gold.

James room, however, was the epitome of Gryffindor. The walls were a deep red, and were edged in gold. The multiple windows around the curved wall would add enough light to prevent the room from being over-dark, giving it a cheerful, warm air. For now, in the night, there were several torches between the windows to light up the room.

"Wow," Remarked Lily, standing in James' doorway.

He turned to look at her, "Yeah, intense much? I guess the Heads get some pretty good perks."

The moved into their shared common room, and just like the room below them there was a cheery fire in the grate with squishy chairs and couches in front of it. There were two desks in the room, each large enough for two people but on opposite sides of the room.

Silently they parted, both knowing the other was going down to the dormitory right below them to be with their fellow seventh years."

"James mate!" cried Sirius upon James's entrance, "We wondered what happened to you man, your trunk wasn't here. Peter here had the theory that you had already been kicked out, but I was faithful in your return!" he exclaimed, putting a fist to his heart.

Remus snorted at Sirius' antics and Peter's furious denial that he had ever thought James expelled.

"Sirius, shut up."

The subject of the sentence looked thoroughly wounded at these words, and promptly sat down on his bed with a sulky expression flashing across his features.

"So James," said Remus more calmly, turning to his friend, "where's your trunk?"

"Upstairs, I have my own room as Head Boy," James replied, pointing up towards the ceiling.

"HA!" Peter cried, "I told you there that there were more stairs than usual this year."

Sirius crossed his arms, emitting a surly, "Humph."

James turned to his best mate, trying hard to suppress a large grin, "What, is ickle Sirius sad that his big brother won't be here to protect him from Peter?"

"What! I do _not_ need protection from Peter. And you stinker, I'm older than you, unless you've forgotten," Sirius jumped up, sticking his tongue out at James.

"Hey James can we see your new rooms?" Peter asked

"Yeah sure come on."

While the boys were conversing in their dormitory, the girls were doing nearly the exact same thing, only, er, in more of a _girl_ fashion.

"Lily Evans! Where the hell has your arse been?" exclaimed Megs upon Lily's arrival.

Lily held her hands up, "Chill, chill. I have been with Dumbledore, talking about all the Head Girl crap that I need to know, and he told us that – "

She broke off, looking around. It was at this point that the others realized what was missing from the room.

"Wait, a minute, where's your trunk?" Said Jacky slowly

A sheepish expression stole across Lily's features, and before she could answer she had the truth thrust upon her.

"You aren't in this room anymore, are you?" Jacky asked.

"Not…not exactly," Lily admitted.

"The Head boy and girl get their own special room in their house, so I'm a floor up now."

She didn't even have to wait and ask if they wanted to see it; Jacky, Megs, and Steph stampeded by her, and sprinted up the new stairs – which, incidentally, looked as though they had been there for as long as the originals.

Lily waited until she heard their shrieks and squeals of excitement and envy, to turn to the only girl in the room who had not run out at the mention of a new area.

Shutting the door and leaning against it, Lily sighed,

"All right Corbett, spill. What's the matter?"

Caroline just shook her head and looked down. Then after a moment she sniffed and held up a crumpled piece of parchment. Lily didn't even have to ask what it was to know that it was destroying Caroline, the strongest of them all. Lily got down next to Caroline where she was sitting, legs crossed, on the floor.

"You want to talk about it?" asked Lily softly.

Again Caroline shook her head but handed Lily the parchment. She glanced through it quickly enough to register that Caroline's only sibling, her older brother, had been killed by Death Eaters that morning. The owl had just arrived from her mother, begging her to come home.

"I have to go," whispered Caroline, "I can't leave her there with no one but dad. He's out of the house enough as it is. I'm telling McGonagall tomorrow and going home."

Normally Lily would have tried to talk her out of this idea, telling her she was being rash and needed to think things through, but she could tell that Caroline's mind was made up.

Just then, Jacky came back through the door, obviously looking for where Lily and Caroline had got to. Seeing Caroline on the floor she exclaimed,

"Caroline Danielle Corbett don't you dare tell me that you are thinking of leaving us?"

But one look from Lily confirmed this, and Jacky strode over to envelope her friends in a massive hug.

"We're here if you need us, you know that right?"

Caroline nodded and finally spoke up,

"I know. I think I'm just going to go to bed now. I'll see you guys in the morning."

And as her two long-time friends looked on sadly, Caroline climbed into her four poster and curled into a ball.

Needless to say, it was a rather subdued girls' dormitory that night.

--

_Flashback to what occurred in the Heads room while Lily was downstairs with Caroline_

Stephanie bounded up the stairs and through the door to the new 'mini-common room' (or MC as it would later come to be known) only to skid to a screeching halt.

"Oomph!" went Megs in her back, "Why'd you stop?" she asked in a rather annoyed voice.

"Black," Stephanie ground the words out from between her clenched teeth.

Looking around Steph's back, Megs saw that sure enough, there stood Sirius Black and his crew of miscreants.

"Good God Steph, grow up," grumbled Megs as she walked around her friend.

Stephanie pursed her lips and merely walked into Lily's bedroom. Or nearly walked into Lily's bedroom.

"Hey Breen!"

Stephanie ground her teeth even harder and slowly turned to face her tormentor.

"What, Black?"

"You did realize, didn't you, that now our dormitories are connected?"

"They have always been connected, Black, or is the fact that you were born to second cousins clouding your brain?"

Sirius looked too confused to register that Stephanie had insulted him,

"How have they been always connected?"

Stephanie sighed and opened her eyes, but just to roll them at the boy in front of her,

"There are staircases leading from the boys and the girls dorms into the Common Room, correct?"

"Ye-es," he replied slowly.

"So would not that therefore mean that the dorms are connected by stairs and a room?"

"Yes, but now we can actually get into yours."

"By 'we' I am sure you are referring to those marauding boys behind you as well as yourself, and as for your assumption, why don't you prove it?"

Her tone was inviting yet challenging at the same time. Unfortunately for Sirius, he didn't notice the mischief in her voice too, and confidently strode over to the entrance to the girls staircase, wrenched open the door, and stepped on the first stone step.

"See!" he spread his arms wide, "I'm fine!"

Steph snorted, "Oh yeah? Take a couple steps."

And just as if he had done the same from below, about six steps down Sirius swore and attempted to grab a hold on the rough stone wall.

A minute later he came panting back through the door to Stephanie's malicious laughter – the boy's door.

"I told you so," she gloated happily, becoming all the merrier at Sirius's glowering look.

"That's it, I'm going to bed. I'll see you all later," he grumbled.

But James heard him going out the door, "I'm going to get her someday. Honest I will."

James couldn't help wondering what definition of 'get' his friend was using.

**A/N: Awww, so sad ( but don't worry, Caroline will eventually be coming back. Not exactly how you expect it though…**

**Okay I quadruple-y apologize for the inexcusable lack in updating (regardless of what I said above); it's just been a crazy time between school stuff and my crew (not to mention no motivation). It's making me almost glad for finals in a couple weeks so I can just stop with the homework! **

**But hey, i worked really hard this week to write the last 6 pages of this chapter so i could get it up.**

**But honestly some things you need to know: I just found out that I'll be away for basically all of July, most likely without access to a computer, so I'm planning to double update/something like that to tide you over. Then I will have computer access for once in my ****life when I go to the cape in august, so I will hopefully (crossing fingers) find some time to update then. **

**Ah, you ask why I haven't mentioned June? Well my sister is getting married so I probably won't have a minute to spare.**

**Well at least now you know so hopefully you won't be biting my head off for not updating?**

**Now if you could just do one little thing before you leave that starts with 'r' and ends in 'w' that will make me want to double update?**

**Thanks yo**

**And yes I promise this will be the longest author's note for a while. **

**-Marge**


	7. That's Just the Way We Roll

**A/N: yes, yes I know about the lyrics, but I couldn't help it they fit so well! (At least for the beginning)**

And I know  
**We get a little crazy**  
And I know  
**We get a little loud**  
And I know  
We're never gonna fake it  
**We are wild  
We are free  
**We are more than you think  
So call us freaks**  
But that's just the way we roll**

Chapter 7: That's Just the Way We Roll

On the first day of classes, most everyone in the school got up with a groan. Not many were looking forward to a whole new school year of class, cramming, and exams. Well, there was always quidditch some supposed.

The boys of Gryffindor whom this story focuses on woke up with those exact ideas in their head. They were so preoccupied with attempting to wake up and dress themselves; they didn't notice that one of their members had disappeared in the night.

When they eventually made it down to the Great Hall it was to find their female counterparts already digging into their morning meal. Stephanie and Megs were fully involved in a game of Exploding Snap, which upon closer examination was revealed to truly be a card trick that Stephanie was attempting to perform on Megs. Key word: attempt.

"Okay, okay Marge, Marge, Marge," (for that was Stephanie's nick name for Megs), "Pick a card, any card."

When Megs just pointed at one Steph rolled her eyes and said, "Take it out and memorize it smart one. No, not that one, I saw it."

Megs grumbled and shoved the eight of clubs back in the deck. "Then don't look next time!"

She carefully chose another card and showed it to Lily and Jax, who were next to and across from her. Stephanie was on her other side. This time the card was the Ace of Hearts. Quickly Megs pushed the card back in the deck. Steph pulled the deck together and shuffled it twice.

"Okay. Is this your card?" she flipped the top card up to face Megs.

"No." she scoffed.



"Alrighty, then." Stephanie put the card at the bottom of the deck and flipped the next card up, "Is this your card?"

"Nope."

After five more tries, which included a three of hearts, ten of diamonds, Ace of spades, four of clubs and a joker, Stephanie flipped up one more card.

"Is this your card?"

"Yup."

"Seriously?" Stephanie looked at the card. It was the nine of hearts.

"No."

"Dammit, Margaret!"

A king of clubs and eight of diamonds later Steph said half joking half exasperatedly, "Can't you just say yes to make me feel better?"

She held up another card, "Is this your card?"

"NO!"

"Is this your card?" it was the six of spades.

"Yes. No. What? You said say yes!"

"You suck."

"Your mom sucks," Countered Megs

"Shut up I know."

"All right Sherlock lets speed it up."

But after going through the entire deck and Megs has not legitimately said yes yet, Stephanie held up the Ace of Diamonds before asking the ultimate question, "Is this your card?"

"Er, yes? I think so, but it might be the ace of hearts. I'm not really sure…" Megs trailed off.

"Jeez, Marge the whole point is to remember your card!"

But before Megs could answer the deck blew up in Stephanie's face, leaving her with a very sooty nose that reminded everyone in the vicinity of a dog's wet sniffer.

James, Sirius, Remus and Peter had chosen this exact moment to enter the great hall, and their roar of laughter caused the majority of the room to look first at them, then at the Gryffindor table, where Sirius was pointing while doubled over with laughter.



Of course this did nothing but cause more hysterics over Stephanie's extraordinarily sooty and hairless face.

"Hey, Breen!" Yelled Sirius, "Did it ever occur to you that you might want to use an ordinary deck when playing a card trick? Less chance of an explosion that way!"

Stephanie just glowered at her plate as Sirius sat down beside her, but before a real argument could be started, Lily butted in.

"Hey, where's Sam?"

Sirius, James and Remus looked around, but Peter said, "He left early this morning, he and his little sister. I woke up while he was walking out. He - he told me."

"But, why? If they weren't going to stay why did they come on the train the other day?" asked Jax.

"Apparently his parents died late last night, and he needed to come home to take care of the rest of his family. He has another sister who's only nine. The sister in fourth year would have stayed but she wanted to go with him."

The table fell silent.

"Well," Lily spoke up, "I hope they'll be okay."

Luckily Professor McGonagall was coming around giving the students their empty schedules, which preoccupied the Gryffindors from becoming too depressed.

Once each of their schedules had been set up, they realized that they nearly all had the same classes. Sirius, James, and Megs were all taking the appropriate classes for rising Aurors, and as Lily was becoming a healer she had almost all of the same classes, with a few differences.

Remus, Peter, and Jax all planned to gain a job in the ministry other than an Auror, and had classes suiting their choices.

Stephanie was planning to join the auror sub-division, the investigators; a team of wizards who investigate the scenes of crimes after the regular aurors have made their arrests.

All of them groaned as they saw their first day. Monday looked awful for the lot of them. It was also incidentally one of the few days where they all had almost every class together.

To start the day, the lucky eighteen year olds had Double Transfiguration, then Defense Against the Dark Arts, followed by lunch, then Potions, and to conclude the day, Double Charms.

James gawked. Sirius stared. Remus groaned, and Peter exclaimed, "What the bloody hell is this?"

"This, Mr. Pettigrew, is you schedule for this year. And if you do not like it I suggest you choose a new career!" snapped professor McGonagall, before sweeping on down the table.

Grumbling, they went off to get their books.



--

Wednesday of the next week, the boys woke to find one more of their number missing; Will Collins had left in the night. They looked at each other glumly, would all of them eventually trickle out? How long did they have left together?

Somewhere during the day, maybe it was during charms? James realized that now he had to find two replacements for the Gryffindor quidditch team. As both Caroline and Will had now left, he was short a chaser and a beater. Chaser was all set, Will Turner, Liam's younger brother, was the backup chaser, but there was still the matter of beater.

As a result of a meeting with Professor McGonagall Gryffindor quidditch tryouts were to be held that Friday, for beaters only.

James would die with worry until then.

--

At dinner that night, Liam Turner, the Gryffindor sixth year sat down by James and Sirius at their house table.

"Did you boys hear about the first year flying lessons today?" he asked casually as he piled his plate with food.

"No, wot 'appened?" James said through his dumplings.

"That kid – mint or something – kicks butt mate! I guess his friend the girl – Breena, or something? – isn't too shabby either, apparently she and he got in some fight with your typical stuck up Slytherin and they ended up having a fly – off!"

"Don't tell me any more unless we won," shouted Sirius, clapping his hands over his ears.

Liam wiped the spittle that had flown from Sirius' mouth off of his face, "Anyways as I was saying, those two were amazing! I can tell we won't have issues filling the team spots once you guys leave."

James took another bite of his dinner before asking, "Did you see keg fly?"

"Nah mate, I wasn't there, little Will told me about it because he heard it from someone in second year who heard it – okay, I'll stop now."

"How is Willy anyway? I haven't seen him in a while."

"Eh, he's fine. Ever since he started fourth year he thinks he's king of the world, but this summer I just told him that he would _love_ fifth year. He actually believed me the twat; last year had to be the worst year of my life."

"Yeah, well," grunted Sirius, "Little brothers tend to be twats."



James playfully punched Sirius in the arm, "Ignore him Liam, he's prejudiced," he grinned at Sirius's scowling face.

"Right," said Liam warily, "anyway, Willy told me what happened, so I guess Keg couldn't get his broom up until the fourth try. But seriously, Marble is insane!"

"Right," Said James, and turned back to his supper.

Maybe he could convince Professor McGonagall and Dumbledore to let first years try out for the team. But that was absurd, he only needed one position filled, and surely there was one competent soul in Gryffindor house that was older than eleven. Yet James couldn't help feeling that nagging feeling that he would be needing first year help in the quidditch department before long.

--

**A/N: dun dun dun…! What could that mean?! Moving on, fast update right? It's been what, a little over two weeks? From scratch? In the middle of finals (oh shit I'm screwed oh god oh god) review? Damn I'm good! Aiight you guys know what to do! Type away! (and wish me luck on my finals – I'm doomed, so I should probably go study bio…)**

**Oh and FYI that whole card trick thing, was a Steph Breen original. I doubt anyone but she could pull that off. You want proof? I have the video of it! (though without exploding snap cards, though they would have made it more hilarious…)**

**--Wicked**


End file.
